JINJA- The Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) has commenced a sensitization campaign to create countrywide awareness for the planned Special Court Sessions targeting Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases that will be held for five weeks.
Courts recently announced plans to hold 13 special sessions in different parts of the country, targeting to clear at least 1,000 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in 40 days.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is to fund the special criminal sessions between November and December 15 this year.
The 13 special sessions are aimed at tracking at fast track the disposal of SGBV cases in the High Courts of Mbale, Masaka, Gulu, Bushenyi, Mukono, Kampala, Soroti, and Moroto, as well as the Chief Magistrates Courts of Nabweru, Lira, Sironko, Kapchorwa, and Iganga, start on November 12, 2018.
At least 1,000 cases are to be handled in the sessions closing December 15, 2018.
The campaign targeting audiences in the 13 selected districts across the country, started Wednesday in Iganga and will proceed to northeastern Uganda, then to the north, central and lastly in the southwestern Uganda district of Bushenyi.
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According to Solomon Muyita, the Judiciary Senior Communications Officer, the Justice Sector stakeholders including the judicial officers, resident state attorneys and representatives of Uganda Law Society in the targeted districts will take the lead in the awareness drive on radio stations.
On Wednesday afternoon, Judiciary Public Relations Officer, Vincent Emmy Mugabo; Iganga Chief Magistrate, HW Hellen Ajio; Senior Resident State Attorney-Iganga, Ariwala Kizito and Mr. Muyita, appeared on a talk show on Eye Radio (94.6FM) in Iganga for the sensitization campaign.
Judiciary Officials appearing on Eye FM radio talk show in Iganga for the sensitization campaign on Wednesday. Courtesy Photo
Mr. Muyita says the media campaigns will run hand-in-hand with the pre-session stakeholder meetings at the various courts.
“At least 130 stakeholders in the SGBV Court Sessions were trained on November 2, 2018, on the best practices to be used during the planned sessions,” Muyita noted in the statement.
The initiative, which is supported by the United Nations Population Fund, is part of the Government of Uganda’s commitment to implement the Maputo Protocol and Kampala Declaration of 2011.
