Judiciary seeks new Deputy Chief Justice

KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Judiciary is seeking a new Deputy Chief Justice in preparation for the coming  retirement of  Richard Buteera who has been holding the second highest office in the institution since 2020.

Buteera  is expected to clock the mandatory retirement age of 70 years  for Court of Appeal Justices / Constitutional Court in April 2025 and will  leave a gap at the already understaffed court .  He has been in the Judicial Service since 1982 when he started as a State Attorney to rise through the ranks up to where he is now.

According to the Judiciary Public Relations Officer James Jumire Ereemye Mawanda, Buteera’s retirement will  leave  only 12 Justices out of the required 35 Justices in the structure of the Appellate Court.

Because f his impending retirement, the  recruiting body  for the Judiciary – the Judicial Service Commission has placed adverts calling for interested and qualified Judicial Officers to apply for for the position of Deputy Chief Justice.

Speaking to Uganda Radio Network, the Permanent Secretary for the Judicial Service Commission, Dr. Rose Nassali Lukwago said the recruitment process starts following a declaration from the Judiciary to which an advert is put out where interested candidates submit their applications and necessary documents on-line.

According to Nassali, the recruitment process for the Deputy Chief Justice involves several key steps. First, they receive a declaration from the Judiciary and then an external advert is placed in newspapers, inviting qualified candidates to apply. That afterwards, those who meet the criteria are screened to ensure compliance, followed by a shortlisting process. After that,  Nassali explained  that the best  three candidates are selected and their names are submitted to the President for for an appointment.

According to a source who preferred anonymity in the Judiciary,  once the Deputy Chief Justice retires, he can only remain for three months to handle court work as Justice of Appeal not as DCJ. All Judicial Officers on reaching the mandatory retirement age for their respective levels are always given three more months to first conclude the pending work load on their desks. Within this period, they are not allowed to take on new assignments like handling new cases.

To be eligible, the Judicial Service Commission advert states that applicants must possess a Bachelor of Laws degree from a recognized institution, hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and have at least 15  years of experience as a judge  of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court or as an advocate. Additionally, the Judicial Service Commission says they must demonstrate knowledge of Ugandan laws and judicial procedures and possess excellent leadership and management skills including digital skills.

The deadline for submissions has been fixed for November 18th 2024.

The duties of the Deputy Chief Justice are specified in Article 133 of the Constitution and they are mainly three; to Deputise the Chief Justice, be the head of the Court of Appeal and in that Capacity Assist the Chief Justice in the administration of that Court . He is also to perform other duties as delegated or assigned to him as by the  Chief Justice.

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