The Legal Committee has pined the Judiciary over what it called the discriminatory promotion practices, accusing the Institution of side lining competent and long serving judges, in preference for new and cadre judges, thus ruining the reputation of the Judicial system.
The legislators cited; Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, the most senior member at Court of Appeal, Justice Vincent Kibuuka-Musoke who died at 71 years without promotion from High Court & Justice David Kutosi Wangutusi among the side lined Judicial Officers.
Hon Jonathan Odur member of parliament for Erute South constituency, sought clarification from the Judiciary on the criteria used to promote and transfer judges noting, “There seem to be a number of Judicial Officers who are either stuck at a certain level or even at the same station without promotions. Every year, you hear Judge so and so is still here. Even when you speak to stakeholders in public, some lawyers, they seem to be happy, even the rate of disposal, there is no promotion.”
Busiro East legislator Hon Medard Lubega also weighed into the debate noting, “We see very many senior judges and they are stuck. Are you saying they are not competent? If they are not competent, is there a mechanism that determines the competence or otherwise, so that you fire them? If they are not competent to be promoted to the next level and you bring junior people to go up there and review their judgments, then fire them. It means they’re eating our money for free.”
However, Pius Bigirimana, the permanent Secretary to Judiciary argued that assessments of who merits promotions is done by the Judicial Service Commission, but he went on to say some Judicial Officers aren’t promoted because they got some “issues”.
“The recruitment is done by the Judicial Service Commission. Judicial Service Commission is the one which carries out assessment of the performance of the judicial officers. If for one reason or the other the judicial officer has got some issues, I don’t think Judicial Service Commission would promote that person. And promotion depends on the availability of vacancies, anyway,” argued Bigirimana.
