UGANDA: Parliament to start vetting new judges tomorrow

By Sheila Naturinda.

Parliament will tomorrow start vetting all the 28 proposed people to fill vacant positions in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the High Court. Members of the Appointments Committee were asked to prepare for the three-day activity by Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah last week.

The appointees

President Museveni last week sent names of appointees to the Speaker of Parliament, and among them were current Director of Public Prosecutions Richard Buteera and Makerere University Deputy Vice Chancellor in-charge of Academics, Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa.

In the appointments, Court of Appeal Justices Amos Twinomujuni and Arach Stella Amoko were transferred to the Supreme Court while Justice Egonda Ntende returned to the Court of Appeal after serving as Chief Justice of the Republic of Seychelles from 2009.

Justice Solomy Bbosa, who returned from Arusha, Tanzania where she was seconded to serve on the International Tribunal for Rwanda, which is trying Rwandan genocide suspects, also returns and will be sitting on the Court of Appeal.

Others promoted to the Court of Appeal from the High Court are: Justices Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Opio Aweri, Faith Mwondha and Eldard Mwangusya. The deputy DPP Damalie Nantudde Lwanga was appointed a High Court judge.

Other appointees include prominent human rights lawyer Kenneth Kakuru, Henry Peter Adonyo, Margaret Tibulya, Elizabeth Jane Alividza, Godfrey Namundi, Henrietta Wolayo, John Eudes Keitirima, and David Batema.

Others are Kaweesa Isabirye, Elizabeth Kibula, Lydia Mugambe, Duncan Gaswaga, Vincent Okwanga, Alexandra Rugadya Nkonge, Dr Winfred Nabisinde, Eva Luswata Kawuma and Michael Elubu.

Shortage of judges

While appearing before the Parliament Legal Affairs committee, the head of Judicial Service Commission, Justice James Ogoola, told legislators that the Judiciary was grappling with shortage of judges.

However the current appointment of two judges to the Supreme Court still leaves the quorum incomplete as the court is supposed to have 11 Justices. The court currently has several Constitutional cases pending before it.

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Parliament-to-start-vetting-new-judges-tomorrow/-/688334/1850472/-/ldnduwz/-/index.html