The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has appointed 15 new Chief Magistrate officers in a move aimed at quickly disposing of election petitions across the country.
According to the Judiciary’s Registrar Sarah Langa Siu, the newly appointed officers would be deployed soon after they accept the appointments.
Langa said: “The latest appointments are mostly intended to address the staffing gaps in the magisterial areas especially in view of the anticipated election related petitions with strict timelines” she said.
The judiciary currently has only 42 of the 100 Magistrates in its structure which still slows the effective flow of work with in the arm.
While swearing in members of the Judicial Service Commission in Kampala last week, the Chief Justice, Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, said the desire of the judiciary today would be to have at least a chief magistrate per district and a magistrate Grade one per constituency.
The Chief Justice also said Uganda needs the structure of the court of appeal justices to be increased from the current 15 to 32 and that of the high court judges to be increased from 82 to 150.
