Luweero High Court on Monday, officially kicked off with its criminal session aimed at disposing off 50 cases.
The session commenced with Lady Justice Faridah Bukirwa inspecting a guard of honour mounted by the Uganda Police Force, accompanied by Hon. Lady Justice Shamilah Ntambi, the Resident Judge of Luwero.
The opening was followed by a pre-session meeting with key justice stakeholders including officers from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), defence counsel, court assessors, and representatives from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service.
Presiding over the meeting, Lady Justice Bukirwa called on participants to embrace effective time management to avoid delays in the proceedings. She urged advocates to meet and brief their clients in advance, and to consider plea bargaining as a viable option for expeditious disposal of cases.
To State Attorneys, she emphasized the importance of ensuring that witnesses are readily available, while process servers were reminded to engage witnesses and stress the significance of their attendance in court.
In her report, the Deputy Registrar, HW Agwero Catherine, revealed that 50 cases have been cause-listed for the session. These include 20 cases of murder, 17 of aggravated defilement, seven of aggravated robbery, four of aggravated trafficking, one of aggravated torture, and one of rape.
Lady Justice Bukirwa reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to delivering justice without undue delay, noting that criminal sessions are vital in reducing case backlog and restoring public confidence.
“Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. We must work together to ensure that every case is handled efficiently so that the victims, the accused persons, and the community at large can see justice served,” she said.
