Dr Flavian Zeija, the Principal Judge says there are few judges to preside over capital offences in Uganda. Out of the 82 judges recommended there are 56.
Prisoners on remand are costing the taxpayer 119 Million Shillings
per day.
Frank Baine, the Spokesperson of the Uganda Prisons says each of the 29,600
prisoners currently on remand spends 4,000 shillings per day on feeding which
would be avoided if the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) was not facing
challenges.
//Cue in “the budget is…
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Dr Flavian Zeija, the Principal Judge says there are few judges to
preside over capital offences in Uganda. Out of the 82 judges recommended there
are 56.
The High Court Chief Registrar Sarah Langa Siu, says there are also
few Grade One and Chief Magistrates. There about 120 out of the required 200
grade one magistrates, 38 out of 57 Chiefs Magistrates serving 80 magisterial
areas in Uganda, 24 Assistant Registrars and 28 deputy Registrars.
//Cue in “we need two hundred…
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Dr Roswitha Kremser, Chairperson JLOS Development Committee and Austria’s
Ambassador to Uganda says the many prisoners on remand are undermining Uganda’s
justice sector but also taking a toll on taxpayers money.
//Cue in “on pre-trial detention…
Cue out: “…along time.”//
William Byaruhanga, the Attorney General of Uganda says the government should
look at these pertinent issues that constitute good governance, constitutional
justice and the rule of law in JLOS.
//Cue in “Some of the…
Cue out …rule of law.”//
Uganda currently has 264 known prisons meant to have a maximum prisoner’s
population of 20,000 inmates but hold 60,797. The number of 29,600 remand
prisoners alone overwhelms the required official number in Uganda’s prisons.
Last
year, Members of Parliament on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) grilled the
officials of Uganda Prisons Services over the prolonged stay of prisoners on
remand without trial.
This
followed revelations in the audit reports raised by the Auditor General that
painted a grim image into the time prisoners stay, with findings indicating
that some prisoners have been on remand for more than 72 months.
