The two-day court of appeal sitting in Arua High court circuit handling criminal cases concluded on Tuesday. The criminal court of appeal for West Nile started on Monday at Arua High Court Circuit.
Justices Geoffrey Kiryobwire, Irene Mulyagonja and Eva Luswata in unison commended the West Nile region for the organized court of appeal session.
Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire described the Arua session as orderly and timely compared to other regions they have been to. He however urged the members of the Uganda Law Society to embrace pleabargain as alternative justice mechanism for criminal cases and mediation for the civil cases
Counsel Jimmy Madira of Madira and Co advocates, the representative of Uganda Law Society in West Nile region and one of the appellant lawyers on state brief credits the court of appeal for regionalising the session.
Of the 31 cases heard during the session that awaits judgment to be delivered on notices to the parties by the justices, 15 were murder cases, 13 defilement and three robbery cases
The deputy chief justice and the head of court of appeal in Uganda, Justice Richard Buteera while officiating during the opening of the criminal session of the court of appeal on Monday challenged the court circuits in West Nile to embrace alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
He says their request to have a panel of 56 judges in the court of appeal so as to open regional branches for the courts of appeal in the country is pending approval by the parliament.
Source: New Vision