Justice Choudry retires
Justice Anup Singh Choudry. File Photo
KAMPALA.
Today(Monday) is the last day in office for embattled High Court Judge Anup Singh Choudry as he officially retires from the Bench upon clocking the mandatory retirement age of 65.
Born on August 1, 1949, Justice Choudry on Tuesday will be clocking exactly 65 years of age.
However, the constitution gives him a three months extension period to enable him accomplish any of his pending work at his desk.
But one wonders whether Justice Choudry has any pending work at his desk since he has been not hearing cases for almost the past one year following the conflicts he had with the lawyers who protested not to appear before him.
Efforts to reach him on Monday on what next for him were futile since he was reportedly out of the country.
Article 144 (b) of the constitution demands that a high court judge must vacate office on attaining the age of 65.
Justice Choudry’s tenure on the bench for the last six years has been characterized with controversies and legal battles surrounding his appointment.
His battles with the lawyers under their umbrella body, Uganda Law Society (ULS) started immediately after President Yoweri Museveni appointed him(Justice Choudry) to the Bench on May, 2, 2008.
The lawyers accused him of not being fit to be a high court judge on grounds that his name had been tainted with a bad legal record back in the United Kingdom where he was a solicitor where he made bogus claims for costs that led him to be sacked.
The lawyers further argued that justice Choudry never successfully appealed against the UK decision vide Times Newspaper Limited v. Anup Singh Choudry Case No. 98/0829/1, a move they said confirmed his guilt.
However, the lawyers unsuccessfully demanded that President Museveni who is the appointing authority; institute a tribunal to investigate Jusice Choudry with the aim of removing him from the position of the High Court judge for being unfit.
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