Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo has cautioned newly appointed Chief Magistrates about setting unreasonable conditions for bail requests.
He expressed his concerns through Justice Mike Chibita, who represented him at the inauguration of new chief magistrates at Collin Hotel-Mukono.
The Chief Justice is worried that some judicial officers are denying bail without valid reasons, leading to unnecessary imprisonments.
Justice Dollo mentioned that the higher number of judicial officers across the country has stressed the prison services. He advised.
“Make sure to give timely judgments and handle bail requests fairly. Don’t deny bail with impossible terms, but always consider the risk of the accused running away. Those who should be released must be processed promptly and sent to the High Court.”
He also urged chief magistrates to actively fulfill their duty of overseeing subordinate courts within their regions. Currently, there are 91 chief magistrates and 366 Grade I Magistrates in the country.
He said, “You need to put effort into mentoring, supervising, and evaluating this significant group. By doing this, you’ll ease the Chief Registrar’s workload. I’m counting on you to join me in fighting corruption, laziness, and inefficiency.”
Similarly, Principal Judge Flavian Zeija advised judicial officers to avoid both perceived and actual corruption. He highlighted instances where some officers ask for bribes in exchange for favorable decisions.
Zeija also addressed concerns about bail procedures, especially in magistrates’ courts. He revealed that there were complaints about demanding “bail money” to speed up the bail process, which goes against justice principles.
“It’s ridiculous that well-paid judicial officers would stoop so low as to make poor court users sell their only possessions, like goats, to get bail or any other favorable court decision,” Justice Zeija stated.
He noted that corrupt practices damage the judiciary’s reputation, making it seem biased towards the wealthy and obstructing justice for the less privileged.
“It starts with you and should extend to the Magistrates Grade 1 and support staff under your supervision. In the end, your conscience will judge whether you’re seen as a thief or an honest champion of justice,” he remarked.
Currently, a group of 20 chief magistrates is undergoing training until the next Tuesday. They were recruited earlier this year.