WESTERN PROVINCE

KARONGI — High Court President Johnson Busingye has urged judges to dispense fair justice so as to maintain the integrity of the judiciary.

He was addressing judges of different courts drawn from Rutsiro and Karongi Districts on Monday, during an evaluation of the first term of judicial performance contracts, at Centre Bethanie in Bwishyura Sector.

Busingye commended the judges for their work which he said has helped stem graft in the country, adding that members of the legal fraternity need to be honest in order to maintain their credibility.

"There is a great step that the judicial sector has tremendously taken especially in the areas of decentralisation and fighting against corruption. This implies that you are committed to your profession,” he said, pointing out that many cases previously handled at higher levels are now handled at the Lower Instance Courts. He also observed that judges need to fight the perception that justice is costly.

"There are still people who cannot believe that someone can be released from prison at zero cost. You should show your clients that this is possible,” he said.

Citing graft cases, Busingye told judges to take tough measures against crimes, noting that convicting graft suspects would play a crucial role in curbing the vice.

During the meeting, judges highlighted their achievements indicating that about 83 percent of their cases were disposed of in first term in different lower instance courts.

The judges however, cited poor communication is one of the obstacles hindering their work.In response, Busingye promised to address the problem in order to facilitate quick delivery of judicial reports.

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