Matembe attacks judges over unethical behaviour
L-R: Justice Stella Amoko, Justice James Ogoola, Uganda Christian University Faculty of Law Dean Anthony Kakooza, Ms Miria Matembe and Justice Mike Chibita at the launch of the Legal Ethics and Professionalism handbook in Kampala last Friday. Photo by Michael Kakumirizi
Kampala. Former Ethics minister Miria Matembe has criticised judicial officers and lawyers for exhibiting unethical behaviour while administering justice.
Ms Matembe claimed some judges have sold their souls and ended up delivering political instead of legal judgments.
She was speaking at the launch of Legal Ethics and Professionalism, a manual handbook for legal practitioners and law students in Kampala last Friday.
“There is a breakdown of ethical values and morals in the legal system. Lawyers are now getting fees from the two opposing parties. I know the legal profession is governed by the code of conduct but does the Law Council suspend its members over misconduct nowadays? If yes, then they don’t do so loudly so that the public knows who has been suspended,” Ms Matembe said.
“Even judges have also sold their souls, can you imagine judges? Haven’t you seen or been treated to political judgments instead of legal judgments? I want to tell them that God hates injustice and they should be judging on his behalf.”
Ms Matembe said it was embarrassing for officials of the Constitutional Court to close offices to retired Supreme Court judge George Kanyeihamba when he sought to file an injunction blocking the vetting of deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma. The chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission, Justice James Ogoola, said ethics is the centre piece of justice delivery. He said unethical judicial officers should not be practicing but in jail.
In an interview with Daily Monitor recently Chief Justice Bart Katureebe admitted some judicial officers are corrupt and vowed to fight the vice.
