High Court Criminal Session Kicks off in Mbarara

Mbarara High Court has commenced the first-ever High Court Criminal Session to be held in Ntungamo.

The session, presided over by Lady Justice Lillian Alum Omara, will handle 50 cases, including 34 of Murder, nine of Aggravated Defilement, five of Aggravated Robbery, one of Rape, and one of Kidnap with Intent to Murder.

The opening ceremony featured an inspection of the guard of honor mounted by the Uganda Police Force, the symbolic planting of the “tree of justice,” and a pre-session meeting with stakeholders.

During the meeting, the Acting Deputy Registrar, Her Worship Grace Atwongyeire, welcomed the Presiding Judge and thanked the Judiciary Management for funding this historic session. She highlighted the heavy case workload and backlog at Mbarara High Court and reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to reducing backlog through dedicated sessions and the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.

Her Worship Atwongyeire also informed stakeholders of plans to operationalize Ntungamo High Court Circuit following its designation under Statutory Instrument No. 94 of 2023. She explained that this development aims to take justice closer to the people, reduce travel costs, and improve access to justice. She further appreciated the

leadership of Ntungamo District Local Government and Ntungamo Municipality for allocating land to the Judiciary for the construction of permanent High Court premises.

In her address, Justice Omara commended the cordial working relationship between justice actors in the district and called for collective responsibility to ensure the success of the session. Stakeholders in attendance expressed gratitude to the Judiciary for interventions aimed at taking justice services closer to the people and pledged their continued support.

The session was attended by judicial officers under Ntungamo Chief Magisterial Area, the Resident District Commissioner, district political leaders led by the District Chairperson, district technical officers led by the Chief Administrative Officer, the Mayor, the Town Clerk, the Regional Head of JSC-Mbarara, the District Police Commander, the District Internal Security Officer, the District CID Officer, the Officer in Charge of Prison Ntungamo, prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Ntungamo, advocates, and assessors.

The meeting was moderated by HW Gordon Muhimbise, Chief Magistrate Ntungamo.