KAMPALA – The Judiciary on Thursday took the 15 newly assigned acting Chief Magistrates through a day-long mentorship programme on what their new roles entail.
The Principal Judge, Dr Flavian Zeija, who officiated at the exercise urged the participants to ensure they serve with integrity and great performance at their stations.
He said their performance at their new stations was going to be measured to ensure that justice is delivered, and cautioned them against complacency. “If you are going to make your station non-functional yet you are receiving operational funds, then you are no different from the criminals you are convicting,” he said.
In terms of management function at their stations, he urged them to organise their registries in such a way that files can easily be retrieved. He pointed out that organised registries prevent loss of files.
The PJ told the Ag. Chief Magistrates that as ambassadors of the Judiciary, they should make the institution proud.
“We have posted you to these courts expecting you to perform successfully, you are our ambassadors. I know there are challenges of locus visits money which is not readily available and lack of transport. However, let us utilise the little resources we have to do a good job,” the PJ said.
The Chief Registrar, Sarah Langa Siu, laid out the expectations of CMs. She urged them to be innovative in order to make a difference.
Regarding the Judiciary Zero-Tolerance to Corruption Policy, the CR encouraged the officers to be firm, but also be available to court users.
Explaining the need for the session, the CR said it was important for the new Chief Magistrates to be equipped with knowledge so that they can execute their new roles effectively.
Dr Alfred Kenneth Kiiza a consultant from the Uganda Management Institute took the participants through a session on Strategic Management and Effective Delegation Skills, while the Ag. Registrar of Magistrates Affairs and Data Management, Rosemary Bareebe, took the group through Roles of a Chief Magistrate at Court.
The Under Secretary, Ms Maureen Kasande, handled a session on Financial Management while, Juliet Harty Hatanga, the Chief Magistrate of Mukono shared her experience on the do’s and don’ts of the new office.
The new CMs pledged to serve to the best of their abilities and thanked the Judiciary management for the mentorship in preparation for the new roles in serving the nation.
The 15 were in January 2021 assigned by the Judicial Service Commission to fill the staffing gaps at that level for purposes of managing the election petitions from the recent General Elections.