Bart Magunda Katureebe, the Chief Justice has called for increased funding and speedy consideration of the judiciary administration bill in order to facilitate the independence of the judiciary.
Currently before cabinet, the Bill seeks to strengthen the independence of the Judiciary, improve the administration of justice and streamline the administration of Courts.
Quoting article 126 (8) of the constitution which provides that the judiciary shall be self-accounting and must deal directly with the ministry responsible for finance, Justice Katureebe pointed out that at the heart of independence, is the need to secure adequate resources for the courts.
Katureebe was speaking at the opening day of the 20th Annual Judges conferences at Speke Resort hotel in Munyonyo, Kampala on Monday. The conference is running under the theme, "An inclusive judiciary for sustainable development."
He explained that judges must be paid highly in order to deter acts of corruption and influence to make irregular court decisions. "Judicial salaries must be set at a comparatively high public service level in order to remove both the temptation to corruption and public contemplation of the possibility of such temptation." Financial security, he adds, is a means to end judicial dependence.
Katureebe observed that independence of the judiciary promotes economic development and ensures justice and equity through a predictability of court decisions that cannot be overruled by a political establishment.
Katureebe says there is a need for all to respect decisions of the court and where one disagrees with the decisions of the court, they can appeal, revisions and review, but it is unacceptable to have other functionaries of Government promoting to rule over decisions made by the court.