November 09, 2023
KAMPALA, Uganda | In a move aimed at promoting transparency and accountability within the Ugandan judiciary, the Chief Registrar, HW Sarah Langa Siu, has unveiled plans to introduce a groundbreaking performance assessment tool. This tool will empower lawyers and other court users to assess the performance of judicial officers, marking a remarkable step towards a more open and collaborative legal system.
The announcement came during a recent meeting between the Chief Registrar’s chambers and the leadership of the Uganda Law Society, where the focus was on strengthening cooperation between the legal community and the judiciary. The meeting, held in the Chief Registrar’s chambers on November 7th, 2023, marked a positive shift in fostering dialogue and addressing issues affecting the relationship between the Bar and the Bench. President of the Uganda Law Society, Mr. Bernard Oundo, led a seven-member delegation from the society
During the gathering, Chief Registrar HW Langa expressed her gratitude to the Uganda Law Society for their steadfast support in implementing innovative initiatives, such as the Electronic Court Case Management Information System. She also commended advocates for their enthusiastic response to the state brief scheme, with more advocates expressing interest in joining.
One of the standout developments discussed was the Performance Enhancement Tool, which will enable advocates and other court users to evaluate the performance of Judicial Officers and enhance transparency within the judiciary. The Uganda Law Society welcomed this initiative, expressing their readiness to actively participate in assessing judicial officers and the quality of judgments. Furthermore, they suggested the establishment of an anonymous hotline for advocates to voice grievances while maintaining their anonymity.
During the meeting, several concerns were raised, including delayed judgments, the conduct of some judicial officers, scheduling of court proceedings, sharing cause lists, customer service at certain courts, clerks’ conduct, and excessive bail amounts. In response, the Chief Registrar assured the Uganda Law Society that the concerns about high bail amounts would be addressed, and the implementation of hotlines would align with the expansion of the Judiciary Call Centre.
