The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe has attacked Justice Catherine Bamugemereire’s land commission for the recent press release regarding the handling of land issues in courts of judicature, arguing that the Commission should have presented an interim report on the matter to president Museveni instead of running to the media.
“We would have expected the commission to communicate findings of such a serious nature in form of an Interim Report to the president not a Press Release,” Justice Katureebe says in a press release for Monday.
The Commission on October 26, published a press release accusing the judiciary of corruption tendencies in land adjudication.
He says had the Commission presented the report to the president, the judiciary as well as the government, would have studied that report and taken appropriate action, “including giving the officers mentioned in there …an opportunity to defend themselves”.
Nonetheless, we will further study the Press Release and try to work on it appropriately. Any judicial officer found to have acted outside the law, will be dealt with accordingly,” he says.
The judiciary has on occasions acted interacted with the Commission including on 25 September 2017 when it formally presented a detailed memorandum with recommendations regarding land administration and adjudication in Uganda, the Press Release notes.
The Principal Judge, Yorakamu Bamwine also blasted the Commission, saying that: “Actions of a few judicial officers should not be used to brand the entire judiciary a culprit.” Lately, we are encouraging judicial officers to conduct judicial processes in a more transparent manner so as to enhance public trust and confidence in the judiciary,” he says.