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Lawyers decry long queues at Buganda Road Court
What you need to know:
- Buganda Road Court handles cases on behalf of the magistrate’s courts of Makindye, Nakawa, Nabweru, Law Development Centre, Kira, City Hall, Nateete/Rubaga, Luzira, Kasangati and the Anti-Corruption Court.
Lawyers and judicial officers have decried the endless queues in order to have their cases heard by video conferencing at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, the only court in Kampala fitted with the online trial system.
Following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, criminal case hearings have been conducted by video conferencing within the confines of prison.
Buganda Road Court handles cases on behalf of the magistrate’s courts of Makindye, Nakawa, Nabweru, Law Development Centre, Kira, City Hall, Nateete/Rubaga, Luzira, Kasangati and the Anti-Corruption Court.
Mr Anthony Odele, a lawyer, said for the last two months, he failed to get a bail hearing date for his client.
“The video conferencing facility at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has been overwhelmed by the needs of courts around Kampala. This has seen some magistrates failing to find space to handle their files,” he said yesterday, adding: “I am dealing with one such a case at Kira court where the accused was remanded on May 8 and to date, he is yet to get his day in court.”
The Judiciary public relations officer, Mr Jameson Karemani Karemera, said the Judiciary is coming up with guidelines to address the challenge.
“...The guidelines will see judicial officers go to prison and fix the cases from there and when time comes for hearing, we shall allow a few inmates out to access the courtrooms,” Mr Karemani said yesterday.
