KAMPALA,Uganda|The High Court in Bushenyi has convened a regional Coordination Committee meeting aimed at strengthening justice delivery in the region.

The meeting was chaired by the Resident Judge Justice Amos Kwizera who expressed gratitude to members for their continued support and was pleased that all key stakeholders were present. He informed the committee that the court was finalizing its current session and had received facilitation to commence another.

Kwizera further informed members that both civil and criminal matters would be balanced to ensure civil cases were not sidelined. He also encouraged members to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR ) and shared that a training programme would be introduced for those interested in becoming mediators.

The meeting that was attended by LCV chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners, Magistrates within the circuit, Regional Internal Security Officer, Regional Police Commander, Regional Investigations Department and other representatives from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocates, court Bailiffs, Community Service and Probation Officers as well as religious leaders among others who resolved that justice should be dispensed using the available resources while ensuring communication is made to facilitate all stakeholders effectively.

The Judiciary Performance Management and Awards also conducted a two-day training on the Performance Enhancement Tool (PET) for non-judicial staff from Nakawa ,Nabweru ,Kajjansi, Mukono and Entebbe courts at the Supreme Court Building Conference Hall aimed at equipping participants with knowledge of PET which was launched in 2019 by President Yoweri Museveni to improve performance within the Judiciary.

Opening the training, the Chairperson of the of the Performance Management and Awards Committee Justice Mike Chibita emphasized that PET was developed in response to increasing public demand for improved judicial performance . He also noted that while the judiciary has implemented various initiatives such as Court Case Administration System ( CCAS), strategic investment plans with monitoring frameworks and annual judicial conferences there some challenges like inadequate performance appraisal system which hinders their work thus borrowing from the Ministry of Public Service which also does not align with the ministry’s unique operational system.

Members of the Performance Management and Awards Committee in attendance included Mr. Isaac Bbosa Sserunkuma (senior statistician), Mr. Ronald Mumbere (statistician). The training was facilitated by PET technical committee and moderated by Ms. Flavia Chandiru ( Senior Systems Administrator) together with Mr Brian Oryema (Computer Programmer). The training underscored the judiciary’s commitment to commitment to enhancing performance through innovation and continuous professional development.