Supreme Court to handle 20 Criminal Appeals in two weeks

Justices during a court hearing on Tuesday (PHOTO/Courtesy).

KAMPALA – At least 20 criminal matters are set to be concluded in a Criminal Appeals session that will last two weeks at the Supreme Court.

The session that kicked off on Tuesday, November 3 is being handled through the video conferencing system.

During the hearing Tuesday, the Court consolidated two appeals by businessman Godfrey Kato Kajubi who is challenging the life imprisonment sentence handed to him for the ritual murder of 12 year old Joseph Kasirye.

A panel of five Justices led by the Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo consolidated the two criminal appeals that Kajubi filed separately by using two different law firms.
The other Justices on the panel are Stella Arach, Faith Mwondha, Professor Lillian Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza, Opio Aweri, Percy Night Tuhaise, Ezekiel Muhanguzi and Mike Chibita.

The only difference in Kajubi’s two appeals is that one was filed by a law firm: Wameli and Company Advocates, in 2019 and the other by Nakaga and Company Advocates in October 2020. But they are all challenging one aspect of his conviction and subsequent sentence handed to him by Masaka High Court.

However after consolidation, the Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Simon Peter Semalemba told the Justices that he had responded to only one appeal by Wameli and Company Advocates and asked to be guided on how to proceed.

In their guidance, the Justices said the DPP’s submissions are going to be adopted such that they can be reflected to respond to both appeals since they all have similar grounds then judgement will be on notice.