KAMPALA – The President of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association, Justice Tadeo Asiimwe, on Thursday led a five-member delegation to meet the Chief Justice, Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo. The CJ is also patron of the Association.
The meeting, which took place at the Supreme Court boardroom discussed several matters affecting the Association’s members such as lack of communication on some of the funds deposited on members accounts, the need for disturbance allowance to be paid on time when transfers are effected.
Other concerns related to the need of having an UJOA van in place, including UJOA activities in the budget, and the need for UJOA to start a clean slate.
The Executive members who included; Justice Cheborion Barishaki (Court of Appeal representative), Justice Kazaarwe Olive Mukwaya (High Court Judges representative), Prossy Katushabe (Chief Magistrates representative), and Martins Kirya, the General Secretary, requested the Chief Justice to explain to magistrates that UJOA is not independent of Judiciary.
President Asiimwe further called for including the all Magistrates Conference on the Judiciary calendar.
“The Judges conference is around the corner and the dates are known but no one knows the dates when the Magistrates’ conference will be held,” he said.
Responses
The CJ urged the UJOA leadership to formally write to him on the issue of the van which he will follow up. He agreed that the Association needed to start on a clean slate adding that he was open to ideas.
On the issue of transfers and disturbance allowance, the CJ said he had instructed the Principal Judge and Chief Registrar to make sure that when transfers are made, there are funds to effectively facilitate the move.
He agreed to meet with the magistrates and follow up on the magistrates’ conference.
The CJ advised the UJOA leadership to go back to the drawing board and rediscover the purpose for the Association and be guided by that purpose.
They thanked the Chief Justice for his counsel and pledged to work with the Judiciary leadership to narrow the gap between the Association and its members as well as advocate for their welfare.
UJOA is an umbrella professional body that brings together Justices, Judges, Registrars and Magistrates. It was founded in 1970 and its core mandate is to advocate for their welfare among other roles.
