The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) through its mandate under regulations 31 (1) (a) has dismissed two Judicial Officers and another severely reprimanded from Judicial services.
According to a document released on 13th March, the commission took the decision to penalize the three Judicial Officers after having received complaints against them. “The Judicial Service Commission Disciplinary Committee conducted hearings and Judicial Officers submitted their defence,” reads the document.
Among the dismissed Judicial Officers include; His Worship John Kavuma Muggaga, Magistrate grade 1 who was dismissed from judicial service with immediate effect. Her Worship Napio Agness Magistrate grade II was also dismissed from Judicial Services with immediate effect.
His Worship Deo Nizeyimana, Deputy Registrar was severely reprimanded.
Decisions made by the Judicial Service Commission are in the line of clearing the name of the Judiciary in all ways, and according to sources there were a lot of issues that led to the dismissal of two Judicial Officers, corruption inclusive.
It must be recalled that during the beginning of the new Law Year in February, President Museveni cautioned Judiciary to clean their house and serve Ugandans in an honest way.
“The Wananchi do not want to hear your legal jargons and a litany of Latin maxims. They come to your Courts to seek the protection of their rights and property – land, coffee, cows and other merchandise. They seek fair and timely judgments that embed ubuntu – our traditional and historical values. The Courts should not be seen to protect thieves and murderers by relying on technicalities and strange procedures to quickly release them noting that some of these are the issues that lower the confidence of our people in the Judiciary,” he said.
For years, many reports have cited corruption vices within the Judiciary. According to the recent investigative report from Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda there are many issues relating to gross misconduct by court officials.
These issues ranged from Court clerks at some courts, entering into written agreements with litigants-with the former conceding to bribe them, non-refund of bail money, bribing court officials in order to be granted bail, unclear circumstances of promotion etc.
Further still, 31-45 per cent of the correspondents in Uganda claimed to have paid a bribe in court, according to the recent Transparency International Report By implication, for the poorest Ugandan who cannot afford bribes the judicial system can hardly be served justice.
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