The engagement brought together court users, judicial staff and members of the public, with a focus on simplifying court procedures and promoting more efficient ways of resolving disputes.
The Chief Magistrate of Pallisa, Lydia Kambedha, encouraged members of the public to embrace the Judiciary’s modern innovations and ADR mechanisms, describing them as effective tools for timely and efficient justice delivery.
Kambedha urged court users to actively seek clarification on issues affecting them and emphasised the importance of utilising available complaint-handling mechanisms within the Judiciary.
She also encouraged members of the public to report any misconduct or challenges involving court staff directly to her office, and where necessary, escalate matters to oversight institutions such as the Inspectorate of Courts and the Judicial Service Commission.
The Chief Magistrate further cautioned court users against engaging with “middlemen” and unlicensed individuals commonly referred to as “bush lawyers” operating around court premises, warning that such interactions often compromise justice processes.
She stressed that members of the public should only deal with authorised court personnel to avoid exploitation and misinformation.
On matters relating to bail, Kambedha sensitised participants on proper bail payment and refund procedures, advising that all court-related payments should be made strictly through official channels such as banks or court cashiers, with receipts retained for accountability.
The sensitisation session was led by Evas Kobusingye, Client Service Officer, who guided participants through various Judiciary reforms and innovations aimed at streamlining justice delivery and improving public access to court services.
Kobusingye outlined key Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, including plea bargaining, mediation, and the Small Claims Procedure, encouraging court users to adopt these faster and more cost-effective approaches.
She noted that the Small Claims Procedure allows individuals to resolve disputes without lengthy delays or high legal costs, while mediation and plea bargaining help promote reconciliation and reduce case backlog in courts.
As part of the outreach, participants were also provided with Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials designed to simplify court procedures and improve awareness of citizens’ rights and responsibilities within the justice system.
During an interactive question-and-answer session, court users commended the Judiciary for bringing services closer to the people and appreciated the efforts of court staff in improving service delivery.
Participants, however, raised concerns including the use of canine evidence, perceived emotional sentencing by some judicial officers, delays in police investigations and file management, as well as issues involving repeat plea-bargain offenders.
In response, Kambedha reassured the public of the Judiciary’s commitment to addressing such challenges and strengthening the administration of justice.
“We remain committed to addressing these challenges and improving the administration of justice,” she said.
In her closing remarks, Kambedha encouraged court users to apply the knowledge gained from the sensitisation exercise and take full advantage of the Judiciary’s innovations and ADR mechanisms.
She also appreciated the Registry of Communications and Public Relations for organising the outreach and reaffirmed the court’s commitment to professionalism, diligence and integrity in service delivery.