Covid: Chief Justice revises guidelines for Courts to further scale down operations

The Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo has released revised guidelines for the operations of courts amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.

In the revised guidelines released on Tuesday, courts will further scale down on their operations.

“All courts and departments are hereby directed to scale down operations to 10% and ensure that only critical staff remains to attend to court or office business on a daily basis,”Dollo said in the circular.

Earlier, only 30% had been allowed to continue working.

According to the new guidelines, all heads of court and department within the Kampala Metropolitan Area are supposed to submit to the Chief Registrar or the Secretary to the Judiciary the names of critical staff who will be working during the 42 days of the lockdown as announced by President Museveni.

They are also required to send their NIN numbers and registration numbers for vehicles for the staff who will be working to ensure government processes movement permits for them after the ban on both private and public vehicles.

Registrars and magistrates from other districts have been asked to work out similar arrangements with Chief Administrative Officers to facilitate movement of essential staff whose physical presence may be needed at courts.

“All hearing of cases remains suspended with the exception of only the urgent matters. All execution proceedings and processes remain suspended,” the Chief Justice said.

Judges and other judicial officers have been urged to continue writing judgments and rulings and delivery them virtually whereas bail in critical cases can be entertained but virtually.

“All accused persons on bail should stay home and only report to courts for mention of their cases after the 42 day lockdown.”