Sexual offences top Fort Portal court session
A glance at the court’s returns shows that by close of October, the court had completed 1,293 matters. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- If everything goes according to plan, the court hopes to close the year with a disposal of at least 1,500 matters, about 700 of which will be criminal matters.
Aggravated defilement and murder cases are topping the list of cases to be handled during a criminal appeals session, which kicked off yesterday at Fort Portal High Court.
According to the cause list issued by the Court of Appeal deputy registrar, Mr Ayebare Tumwebaze, the session will listen to 40 appeals before returning to the headquarters in Kampala to write judgments.
Justices Kenneth Kakuru, Christopher Madrama and Irene Mulyagonja are hearing the appeals.
The breakdown of the cause list shows that there are 20 appeals against the conviction on charges of aggravated defilement while 15 appeals are challenging their murder convictions.
Other appeals to be handled include four on aggravated robbery and one on rape.
The oldest appeal is about a matter filed in 2008 where three appellants want court to overturn a life sentence for the offence of murder.
Mr Tumwebaze said the sessions will be held in conformity to existing standard operating procedures (SOPs), outlined by the Judiciary and the Health ministry to minimise the spread of Covid-19.
He added that although the justices and their lawyers will be physically present at the High Court in Fort Portal, the appellants will remain in prison but participate via the video conferencing technology.
Mr Tumwebaze revealed that arrangements have already been made for the lawyers to prepare their clients on how to participate in the scientific court session.
The Fort Portal appeal session is the third external session to be scientifically conducted by the Court of Appeal since resuming business after the Covid-19 lockdown in June. The first two sessions were conducted in Mbarara and Mbale.
The Judiciary is hoping that one more external criminal session will be held in northern region, most preferably in Lira. “If everything goes according to plan, the court hopes to close the year with a disposal of at least 1,500 matters, about 700 of which will be criminal matters,” Mr Tumwebaze said.
A glance at the court’s returns shows that by close of October, the court had completed 1,293 matters.
The breakdown shows that 151 were constitutional matters, 627 criminal matters, 13 election petitions and 502 civil matters.
