The Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, has urged justice sector actors to work together to improve juvenile justice, address the shortage of State Attorneys and strengthen engagement between the Judiciary and the Uganda Law Society (ULS).
Justice Kazibwe made the remarks while opening a two-day Court of Appeal criminal session at Fort Portal High Court, which is scheduled to hear 30 criminal appeals before a panel comprising Justice Kawumi, Lady Justice Irene Mulyagonja and Justice Jesse Byaruhanga.
Kazibwe raised concern over the limited number of remand homes and challenges in transporting children to court, calling for collective advocacy to improve child welfare and access to justice.
“We must, as a country and as stakeholders in this sector, do something about children. The situation is getting worse, and we need to make our voices heard about children,” Kazibwe said.
He also noted that the shortage of State Attorneys was affecting court operations and delaying the disposal of cases, stressing that effective justice delivery requires all institutions to be adequately staffed and resourced.
“The fight is for all of us. Let us all carry that cross and work together to strengthen the system so that the flow of justice is even,” Kazibwe added.
Lady Justice Mulyagonja underscored the need for more court sessions to decongest prisons and speed up criminal trials.
Citing the circuit's report, which shows that Katojo Main Prison holds 990 convicts and 767 remand prisoners, she warned that prolonged detention on remand could undermine the availability of evidence as cases progress.
“The more people stay on remand, the less evidence you will have when you are disposing of their cases,” Mulyagonja said.