Judiciary to hold open-air sessions due to COVID

Sarah Lang’s, Chief Registrar

While addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre, the judiciary spokesperson Jamson Karemani, noted that normally election-related hearings attract a big number of supporters of contesting candidates yet COVID19 is still around adding that it’s the main reason they (judiciary) have come up with such measures.

He noted that supporters of candidates shall not be allowed in the court halls and premises but instead shall be represented by the media that will be giving the public detailed information regarding the court proceedings.

“Regardless of the space available during petition hearings, parties, their lawyers and witnesses must not be bound irrespective of the existing COVID19 pandemic,” he noted.

In addition, Karemani also said that some court sessions will be held in open spaces depending on the circumstances prevailing.

“We bare in mind that this is an international happening, we may have to see a situation where the courts will not be operating inside court rooms but rather open space like tents to have a situation where our health is well,” he said.

He also noted that each Judicial Officer shall not hold more than two petitions per day citing that holding beyond that may disrupt the intention given the fact that the more petitions handled, the more numbers that come in.

He however noted that they are not only waking up at election petitions to fight the pandemic citing that regulations have been in place since its outbreak.
“The Judiciary has been issuing various circulars with regard to COVID19 in the county as a measure to mitigate its spread,” he said.

Comments

comments