40 criminal appeals to be heard using zoom technology

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The judiciary has listed up to 40 criminal appeals to be heard using zoom technology by the Court in Mbarara. The session which will last two weeks starting on June 23, will be presided over by Justices Elizabeth Musoke, Stephen Musota and Remmy Kasule.  

The three Court of Appeal Judges will be considering appeals arising from the same court between 2013 and 2017, according to a statement signed by the acting Court of Appeal Registrar Ayebare Tumwebaze.

According to Tumwebaze, the scientific approach is meant to enable the Justices to handle cases expeditiously and economically, while observing the Ministry of Health Guidelines for controlling the spread of COVID-19.   

Tumwebaze guided that while the Justices and lawyers will physically be present at the High Court in Mbarara, where the hearings will be held, their clients will participate through Zoom technology from the various prisons, they will be in.   

“The advocates are required to advise and sensitize their respective appellants on the new measures to avert COVID-19 and on the rationale for the resolution that proceedings will be conducted remotely,” said Ayebare.

According to the cause-list, of the 40 cases fixed for hearing, 26 are murder related appeals, eight are aggravated defilement cases, three for aggravated robbery and three others are concerning rape.

Mbarara district recorded 129 murders in 2019, the highest on the record, of the crime report released by the Uganda Police Force in April. Overall, Mbarara was ranked in the third position after registering a total of 2,505 crimes, slightly behind Lira and Arua.

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