The Judiciary must guard its integrity

The Judiciary has confirmed to the Inspector General of Government that Justice Elizabeth Kabanda has refunded the money for allowances of her former driver and bodyguard, which she inappropriately paid to herself. When the story came up last month, both the judge and the Judiciary initially denied the claims.
The Judiciary insisted the complainants were duly paid for the days they worked and that they did not deserve the unpaid allowances they were claiming because they abandoned duty. Now it has become clear that the judge wrongfully took away wages for her bodyguard and driver. And that’s not all.
The judge also claimed allowances for two extra days she did not work for during a High Court criminal session in Mubende District. This is not compatible with the conduct of a person of the enviable status of a judge, who is expected to loathe corruption or illicit gain. This is a huge indictment on both the judge and the Judiciary as the temple of justness, equity and last resort for the underprivileged or victims of injustice. In a related development, the Accountant General, has been directed to recover Shs3m from a former magistrate at Mpigi court for forged accountabilities.
The Judiciary should put in place internal mechanisms and checks to guard against such behaviour of its officials in future. This institution is deemed nearly as sanctimonious. Judges and other judicial officers are held in high esteem by the public because their integrity is considered infallible. Therefore, recurrence of such illicit enrichment is not expected of its officials. It will taint the Judiciary and gradually diminish its integrity and public confidence.
For the judge to unjustly deprive her juniors of their little income and the Judiciary’s futile attempt to conceal this illegality should not have happened and should never happen again. The Judiciary should be an institution that fights injustice, not a perpetrator. Its integrity is already fading because of the unscrupulous character of some of its officials. But it must guard its integrity jealously against further fading.
One wonders what might be going on in the minds of litigants whose cases are before the culpable judge. They would be excused if they get worried whether they will receive fairness from the judge, who cannot be fair to her juniors. In a related incident, a state attorney, has been sued over failure to refund exhibit money for a case he was prosecuting in court. This blatant abuse of court exhibits too is something the Judiciary should address.
Judiciary, protect your integrity as nobody else will do it for you.

The issue: Judiciary integrity
Our view: The Judiciary should be an institution that fights injustice, not a perpetrator. Its integrity is already fading because of the unscrupulous character of some of its officials.