The chief justice of Uganda Alphonse Owiny Dollo has called upon justice stakeholders to stop referring the Judiciary as the last arm of government, but to consider it an equally important army of government.
Addressing participants at the Ben Kiwanuka Memorial lecture at High Court in Kampala, Dollo stressed that the judiciary is equally an indispensable partner in development of the country.
“Judiciary is not a consuming arm of government, many say that it just consumes without producing,” he said, adding that because of its importance, even the autocratic leaders who have suspended parliamentary democracy still maintain laws in form of decrees.
Commenting on case backlog, Dollo attributed this to understaffing.
“The leadership of the Judiciary has repeatedly cited as an example the Commercial Division of the High court alone with cases valued at three trillion shillings locked up for years by reason only of the fact that court is lamentably staffed by six judges.”
The chief justice urged Ugandans not only to advocate for creation of more Adminstration units like districts and constituencies but to root for the increase of judicial officers for efficient and timely service delivery.
At the event, Phiona Wall the President for Uganda Law society described Ben Kiwanuka as a statesman who worked hard in promoting rule of law, democracy in the country