The one-week induction retreat for 28 Judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal came to a close last week on Friday May 12th, 2023 at Imperial Golf View Hotel in Entebbe.
The closing ceremony was presided over by the Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera who congratulated the newly elevated Justices of the Supreme Court and appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal on their appointment.
“I thank you for your willingness to serve the people of Uganda through the Judiciary family and i call upon you to use your knowledge, skills and talents to advance the justice needs of the people of Uganda,” he added.
He also appreciated the Chairperson of the Governing Council of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), the Executive Director of JTI, the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) and all staff of the Institute for successfully organizing the induction training.
“This induction retreat is a very important opportunity to the Judiciary as an institution because it allows each participant to share experiences from which we expect improved performance as an Institution and career progression for the individual participants,” he noted.
Buteera also remarked that the induction was intended to strengthen the capacity of the Justices in the execution of their role; to sharpen their knowledge and skills, to share best practices, and to enhance their appreciation of the collegial nature of their courts for effective delivery of service.
He therefore appreciated presenters and discussants for the great job done in sharing their experiences and expertise in the different legal as well as managerial aspects.
“We shall always be indebted to our Kenyan brother Hon. Justice Prof. Joel Ngugi and our retired Justices Bamwine and Wangutusi who made presentations during this retreat and found time to stay with us throughout. We have had in-depth deliberations on the topics highlighted in the training program and we should be in a position to employ the skills, good practices, effective team building techniques, collegial and teamwork skills among others acquired in this induction retreat,” he added.
The deputy chief justice also revealed that there is an increased expectation from the court users and the public generally, making a high demand for accountability that they have a duty to serve the public who are their employers.
“As we perform our roles at the Appellant Courts, the Judges of the High Court and Judicial Officials at the lower bench look up to us as their role models, therefore let us be good examples and mentors,” he urged the Judges.
Hon. Justice Mike Chibita, who is the Supreme Court Justice as well as the Chairperson JTI Governing Council said that the induction was primarily made for new justices who came to the supreme court and court of appeal but however it was decided that instead of just inducting the new justices let all of the judges on the two courts should come and benefit from the induction.
The training was organized by the Judiciary Training Institute (JTI) in partnership with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and it was officially opened last on Monday by thief Justice, Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo.
About The Author
