Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Precious Delilah
Published on 2024-02-01 12:38:57
The Judiciary announced that the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and High Court will be closed for a week starting on February 5th. This closure is to allow judges and registrars to attend the 25th annual judges conference in Kampala. The conference, which will be held at the Serena Hotel, is scheduled to run under the theme; “A People-Centered Approach to Justice.”
Litigants with pending cases at the three courts have been advised to wait until the conclusion of the conference to access services.
During a press briefing ahead of the conference, Mr. James Mawanda Ereemye, the Public Relations Officer of the Judiciary, informed the public of the temporary closure. He stated, “operations in these courts will not be there” from Monday, February 5th until Friday, February 9th.
Supreme Court Justice Mike Chibita, who also chairs the organizing committee for the conference, outlined the objectives of the conference, including judges sharing views and experiences, addressing the case backlog, discussing issues of Artificial Intelligence in judgment writing tools, and healthcare topics such as cancer management. Other topics on the agenda include parenting skills for judicial officers and the management of financial and non-financial resources within the Judiciary.
The conference, which is set to conclude with the grand opening of the twin towers that house the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal on Friday, February 9th, is expected to be attended by President Yoweri Museveni as the chief guest.
Speaking about the new twin towers, the Chief Registrar, Ms. Sarah Langa Siu, shared that the official opening ceremony will include a keynote address and the commissioning of the buildings, ending with the New Law Year. She also mentioned that the opening ceremony on February 9th is expected to attract about 500 guests, with the Chief Justices of South Sudan, Tanzania, and Somalia confirmed to attend.
The Judiciary’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Pius Bigirimana, disclosed that the construction of the twin buildings cost approximately Shs110 billion. He also mentioned that through strict supervision, the government was able to save Shs16 billion during the construction process.
The commissioning of the twin towers is expected to save the Judiciary at least Shs6 billion annually on rent for the two appellate courts, as the Judiciary currently spends about Shs10 billion annually on rent across its court premises countrywide.
The twin towers, located above the Constitutional Square, share the same premises with the High Court. The seven-storey twin towers will have two basement parking floors large enough to accommodate 226 vehicles, as well as modern amenities such as customized courthouses, modern courtrooms, chambers for justices, a restaurant, gym, childcare centers, and a conference hall.
Furthermore, the Chief Registrar announced that there will be a court open day on February 29 at Kololo Independence Grounds, where officials from the higher courts will interact with the general public and receive feedback. This event is open to the public, and aims to educate citizens about court operations, sensitize them about appeal procedures, and provide an opportunity for dialogue with justice stakeholders such as the Inspectorate of Government, prisons, Director of Public Prosecutions, police, and legal service providers.
Read the original article on Uganda Monitor
