DPP assigns 10 prosecutors in pilot study to hear criminal cases daily

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo has assigned a team of ten State Attorneys from her office to participate in the Judiciary’s two-year pilot study to hear criminal matters on a daily basis as opposed to organizing sessions.

On Monday this week, the Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera conducted a consultative meeting with key players in the administration of justice including, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Services and Uganda Law Society, pitching to them the pilot study. He pitched to them how the High Court has started a two-year pilot study to hear criminal cases on a daily basis as opposed to the system where the High court has been hearing criminal cases in special sessions.

He indicated that the Judiciary has been conducting at least three special criminal sessions each year where each Judge would hear about 40 cases in a marathon. However, he noted that the Judiciary found that this strategy is partly responsible for the increasing case backlog and late delivery of justice as a result of poor coordination among players in the administration of justice.

The Deputy Chief Justice was hopeful that the concept of hearing criminal cases daily is one of the case backlog reduction interventions in their efforts to eliminate the case backlog and that the lessons learned out of the pilot program will inform and guide the rollout of the program to other High Court Circuits.

There were also concerns that at times hearing of cases flop because of lack of fuel to transport inmates from prison and facilitation to the State Attorneys.

As such, Buteera asked the stakeholders to wholesomely embrace the pilot program and give it their best, saying that its success will largely depend on them especially when they promote good communication, coordination, and cooperation.

Now following this innovation, the DPP Abodo has assigned a team of ten State Attorneys from her office to participate in the project. Those assigned include; Fatina Nakafeero, Joanita Tumwikirize, Amy Grace, Mariam Njuki, Joy Apolot, Fiona Kwezi,Timothy Amerit, Barbara Kyomugisha, Charlotte Nanziri and Macbeth Agumenaitwe.

According to the spokesperson for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Jacqueline Okui, the State Attorneys will prosecute and handle criminal cases including appeals, revisions and miscellaneous applications in the High Court Criminal Division on a daily basis.

Okui adds that two attorneys will be assigned to each participating court and Judge, and they are also expected to participate in monthly meetings to review the progress of the project.

“It is envisaged that the project will alleviate the recurrent problem of case backlog, and have a ripple effect of reducing the lead time for delivering criminal justice, decreasing remand periods without trial and increasing public confidence in the criminal justice actors and system as a whole,” said Okui.

In November 2016, then Chief Justice Bart Katureebe set up a Case Backlog Reduction Committee to address increasing numbers of unresolved cases in the justice system, identify the extent of the backlog and make recommendations to address the existing backlog and stop the growth of a new backlog.

One of the recommendations that were later made in 2017 by the Committee headed by Justice Buteera was to start hearing criminal cases on a daily basis as opposed to the special sessions.

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