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Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Appeals against the convictions for aggravated defilement dominate the criminal appeals session by the Appellant Court scheduled to sit in Masaka city starting on April 19th, 2021.
A statement from the Judiciary shows that the court will handle 22 appeals against conviction for aggravated defilement, 14 for murder, three are for aggravated robbery and one for rape. Most of the appeals arise from judgments issued between 2010 and 2016.
According to the statement, the Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Buteera, will officially open the two weeks’ session and lead a panel of three Justices who will preside over the appeals to Masaka Prison where the appellants have been transferred for sensitization on how the session will run.
The Justices are Cheborion Barishaki, Stephen Musota and Muzamiru Kibeedi. The Court of Appeal Registrar, Susan Kanyange, says that the scientific session will be conducted via video conferencing.
“The video conferencing facility has been set up at Masaka court to provide a direct video link between the Court and the prisons where the appellants will be following proceedings from,” she said.
Video conferencing enables real-time video, audio and data communication and transmission. Kanyange explains that the special sessions are always conducted as one of the efforts by the judiciary to handle case backlog in the courts, adding that the Justices are committed to delivering justice to Ugandans.
Later this month, the judiciary will also hold the Civil Appeals session and Constitutional Petitions. Kanyange, who also acts as the Constitutional Court Registrar, says that all this part of a larger year-long work plan that has been adopted by the Court of Appeal/Constitutional Court to improve service delivery. Between January and March this year, the Court of Appeal delivered 273 judgments, according to court records.
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