The Deputy Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dolo has cautioned lawyers and judicial officers against monetizing justice proceedings.
He made the remarks at the opening the criminal session of the Court of Appeal, Northern circuit sitting at Gulu high court.
This is the second time in five years that the Court of Appeal is holding criminal sessions in Gulu.
Owiny Dollo said that some of the most common cases before the court and many parts of the country are murder, defilement, gun crimes and land related crimes.
He also noted that as the court sit its regional criminal session, some of the land related cases which are ready before the court should be concluded.
” We have to hear these issues, the court of law needs to resolve some of these cases,” he said.
Some of the members of the judiciary believes that holding regional circuits will play huge part in reducing costs involved in handling such cases.
“The cost of travel, the relative of the accused persons that have been convicted now that are there would have ample opportunity to come and witness conduct of trial,” Walter Okidi Ladwar an advocate said
In the next two weeks, 45 cases will be heard and concluded by the court of appeal judges.
He further noted: “If you go to prison you will find a number of people in our main prison here is over 1000 and yet it has a capacity of 400 people. Most of them are awaiting trial,”
The district leaders want more judges to be appointed noting that one judge can cover the entire 9 or 10 districts and having regional jurisdiction on all matters.
