DPP names 36 districts without State prosecutor
Seated left to Right: Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, President Museveni, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Norbert Mao, and prosecutors led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, during 7th Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture in Kampala last week. PHOTO/DPP
What you need to know:
- Justice Jane Frances Abodo attributed the gap to having few number of prosecutors to be deployed across the country.
- Justice Abodo urged President Museveni, who was the chief guest, to consider the progressive recruitment of an additional 455 prosecutors.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has named 36 districts where they don’t have presence at all.
Justice Jane Frances Abodo attributed the gap to having few number of prosecutors to be deployed across the country.
She said her office only has 406 prosecutors present in 95 districts.
The DPP made the remarks during the 7th Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture in Kampala last week.
Justice Abodo urged President Museveni, who was the chief guest, to consider the progressive recruitment of an additional 455 prosecutors.
“Your Excellency, there are more magistrates than prosecutors. Ideally, the prosecutors should be more so that some stay in office to study new case files, guide police and attend to the public while the rest are in court handling prosecutions,” DPP Abodo said.
“To address the staffing gap, we need at least 455 Prosecutors. We do not have to recruit them all at once, Your Excellency, we request that in every financial year, there is recruitment so that we can support the Judiciary and the police in handling the significant number of criminal cases in the country. We humbly request for your consideration in this area,” she added.
The 36 districts without the presence of a State prosecutor are Agago, Amudat, Bugweri, Bukomansimbi, Buyangabu, Butambala, Butebo, Buvuma, Kakumiro, Kalaki, Kalungu, Kapelebyong, Kalenga, Kassanda, Kazo, Kibuuku, and Kitagwenda.
Others are Kween, Kwania, Lamwo, Luuka, Lwengo, Madi-Okollo, Maracha, Nabilatuk, Namisindwa, Namutumba, Napak, Ntoroko, Obongi, Omoro, Rubanda, Rukiga, Rwampara, and Terego.
Likewise, the chief government prosecutor revealed that her office has not deployed a full-time prosecutor in 69 sub-courts.
She also said her dream is to ensure that at least every district has a state prosecutor.
Explaining the impact of being absent in 36 districts, Ms Jacquelyn Okui, the spokesperson of the office of the DPP, yesterday said: “Absence in some districts in the country implies that members of the public have to travel long distances to interact with the office about their cases; to inquire about their cases, lodge complaints and testify in their cases.”
Ms Okui further observed that some of the litigants give up because of the challenges associated with the long distance in accessing justice.
