The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe has asked Magistrates to improve on their treatment of the rural population.
Katureebe was speaking at the 10th Annual Magistrates Conference in Kampala themed on the role of Magistrates in dispensing justice.
He noted that litigants may be ignorant of the law or have no lawyers to offer advice and it is important for justice to be administered with a human face.
“You can imagine when they come to you a judicial officer and you are throwing the book at them and they don’t understand certain things. I think we have learnt to understand the law with human face knowing the people would like to see,” he said.
He added: “You as the face of justice, as the foot soldier in your district how do you handle the people who come to you and they are ignorant. They don’t know what is a small claim, they don’t know what is a defence, they have been summoned how do you help such people?” he queried.
The deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo urged the magistrates to follow the key processes on the matter that comes before them.
“You should be able to ensure that justice prevails because nobody can be more powerful than the law and you should consider yourself lucky when the allegations are laid against you and you know, you are right,” he said.
