Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo has called out Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja for interfering in matters of the Judiciary.
During the Annual Registrars and Magistrates Conference at Mestil Hotel, the justice vowed to defend the Judiciary from any form of intimidation from other arms of government that intend to limit the Judiciary’s performance.
The two-day Conference was opened by the Chief Justice, Owiny-Dollo.
He stated that the events that occurred last week at the Mengo Magistrate’s Court were unfortunate and unacceptable.
He said the PM misplaced her priorities by focusing her energies on the judiciary instead of intimidating judicial officers.
“I commend the Prime Minister for her zeal only that in this case it was misplaced. There are many other priorities that she should have focused on. I will be failing in my duty as head of the Judiciary if I failed to defend my Judicial Officers and keep quiet” — he said
He went on to say: “ What happened last week at Mengo Chief Magistrate’s Court was unfortunate and unacceptable.”
Last week, PM Nabbanja pinned a Magistrate at the Mengo court for jailing a 40-year-old widow of seven children for six months over a debt gone wrong.
Gertrude Nalule, was sent to jail after she failed to clear damages and costs to the tune of 2.8 million from a loan a neighbor gave her in 2019.
The Nateete /Lubaga magistrate's court handed her the sentence after losing a case filed against her by the neighbor identified as Godfery Bazaale.
Bazaale gave Nalule 7 million shillings during the 2019-20 lockdown, while she was away from work and she failed to pay it back. Consequently, he demanded she gives him her plot of land in Namungoona-Kigobe zone at a cost of 10 million shillings as payment for the loan.
Nalule later changed her mind and refused to have an extra Shs 3 million for the land and possession of the said plot to Bazaale.
Bazaale dragged her to court and it ruled that Shs 2.88 million be paid as damages and costs of the suit were entered against her. She was then jailed at Luzira prison.
However, Nabbanja came to her rescue and cleared the 2.8 million shillings.
The PM met with judicial officials at the Mengo Chief Magistrates Court and castigated the presiding magistrate in the case for ruling unfairly.
In the presence of Kampala minister Hajjati Minsa Kabanda and Attorney General representatives, Grade one Magistrate, Amon Mugezi failed to place the facts in the case.
Now CJ -Dollo says Judicial Officers responsibilities are ordained by God, and that the judiciary will never be intimidated under his watch.
