We still have big problems of wiping out the corruption scandals that have entrenched our judiciary, Arach said, adding that the continuous erosion of values in public life and the all – pervasive corruption have made many honest, patriotic citizens wonder whether there is any hope for improvement in the quality of governance in the country. Arach added that the Supreme Court is investigating cases of judicial corruption that would set a good precedent and strengthen the legal system.
The judge said most judicial corruption comes in the form of judges who are bribed to settle a case out of court or to rule in favor of a particular party. Court clerks are also bribed to direct cases to favorable judges. She warned that those found guilty would be sacked. The situation frustrates the poor who do not get justice from the courts. Some magistrates are involved in charging high court fees in order to get rich faster. The court fees are charged depending on the value of the subject matter. On a number of occasions, the judicial system has been criticized for entertaining corruption with judicial officials taking precedent in accepting bribes.
An impartial judicial system wanted
Justice Arach recommended strengthening of judicial independence by making the process of judicial appointments merit-based and open to the public for scrutiny. She also called for better training and salaries for judicial officers to reduce their susceptibility to bribing. On pressure of political exigency that has impeded the judiciary, Ms. Arach said it remains a thorn in the judiciary to wipe it out. Finaly, Arach noted that political influence undermines democracy and good governance in the country.
In a related development, the Chairperson of Uganda Women Judges on Jurisprudence of Equality Programme, Retired Justice Mary Maitum, said that the magistrates must not be inclined to bias while passing judgment. She called on judges not to look at material wealth of a person when passing judgment because this could trigger psychological torture to the parties involved. -We can hope that the measures taken by the Supreme Court in the cases of judicial corruption will set a good precedent to strengthen a very critically important limb of governance. Maitum challenged the magistrates to strive to bring greater transparency in the judicial system. She said this while speaking at a three day workshop in Arua on how judges should handle cases of HIV victims.
