The Chief Justice of Uganda has urged judicial officers to connect more with the community. This is to make the legal system easier to understand for regular people and to simplify how courts work. This suggestion was shared during an open court event at the Kitgum Magistrate’s premises. The event focused on the idea of “Demystifying Court Processes.”
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo was at the event. He talked about the importance of breaking down the walls between judicial officers and the public.
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo said it’s very important for the justice system and the community to work together. He said everyone involved in the justice system – like judges, police, prison workers, and teachers – should help regular people understand the law better. This would make things easier for everyone.
Dollo also promised to make justice easier to get. He said it’s like getting water from a well – it should be something people can do easily. He said he wants to make courts in every district and part of the country.
Dollo also shared good news for Kitgum district. He said they will soon have a High Court. This is important because it will help with the large number of cases and make it cheaper for people to get justice.
His remarks came after Jimmy Ssegawa Ebil, the Resident District Commisioner (RDC)Kitgum district, explained that many people see judicial officers as distant figures. He said this can lead to confusion when people try to use the legal system to solve problems.
He suggested that judicial officers use radio broadcasts to teach people about court processes and other ways to solve problems without going to court. This way, regular people can better understand how the legal system works.
Ebil also thought it would be a good idea to have more community-based courts as this would help people who live far away from regular courts.
People from the community also spoke up. Asking lawyers to be more honest and caring. They said lawyers should try to solve cases through talking instead of going to court. This would save people money.
Justice Philip Odoki, talked about the difficulties of working with limited resources. He explained that even though they have a lot of cases in the Gulu High Court Circuit, they don’t have enough judges or other important people to help. This makes it hard to finish cases quickly.