Iganga High Court to start operations this month
Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera (left) inspects a stall manned by police detectives and staff from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions during an open day court session in Bugiri District on Monday. PHOTO/PHILIP WAFULA
What you need to know:
Justice Richard Buteera suggests filing cases online to deal with case backlog
The long wait to have a High Court judge in Iganga District has finally come to an end after the Judiciary announced that one will be posted to the district this month.
In December last year, the Chief Registrar, Ms Sarah Langa Siu, revealed plans by the Judiciary to appoint a resident judge in Iganga District to decongest Jinja High Court that serves 12 districts in Busoga Sub-region.
The deputy Chief Justice, Mr Richard Buteera, during an open day court session in Bugiri on Monday, said: “Effective next month [September], there will be a resident judge in Iganga.”
Previously, Iganga had a Chief Magistrate who was overseeing Grade One magistrates in Iganga, Mayuge, Namayingo, Bugiri, Namutumba, Kaliro and Bugweri districts.
Justice Winfred Nabisinde, the Jinja resident judge, said judges have started the process of organising files that originate from various areas to be covered by Iganga High Court.
She said: “The files are being prepared so that by the time the judge comes, they [files] will be ready to be handled. There will now be no need to travel to Jinja because the resident judge will be sitting there and handling cases from that court.”
Justice Buteera further suggested filing cases online to deal with case backlog.
“Filing cases online will lead to easier handling of cases in the long run. Another element is to improve technology, information and communication facilities, which will be available in pilot courts such as the Supreme, Court of Appeal, the Anti-Corruption Court and the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mengo,” he added.
He also appealed to litigants to embrace the plea bargain, which is a negotiated agreement between the prosecution and an accused person who is represented by a lawyer.
Here, the accused person pleads guilty to the charges in exchange for a lesser sentence.
Justice Buteera warned judicial officers against corruption, saying those engaged in the vice would be prosecuted.
Cases
According to Justice Richard Buteera, 13 plea bargain sessions were conducted by the High Courts in Mukono, Mbale, Mubende, Jinja, Kabale, Mbarara and Masindi last year.
A total of 575 cases were disposed of in addition to 6,579 small claims disputes (worth Shs12.5b).
Through small claims procedure, cases involving less than Shs10m are handled in a day or two.
Justice Buteera said through mediation, where parties use the expertise of a neutral third party to dissolve their issues, the court resolved 741 cases.
