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{
    "id": 366302,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/366302/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "other",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "members of the judges expressed their desire to leave as they stated last year, the Government, therefore, began this consultative process resulting in the nomination of the three judges who were identified through that consultative process. The hon. Lady Justice Alice Mahigeine, formally the Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda, the hon. Justice Joseph Asoka Nihal De Silva, the former Chief Justice of Sri Lanka and the hon. Justice Barnabas Albert Samalta, the formal Chief Justice of Tanzania, were nominated to replace those three other judges who had since left the Vetting Board. Hon. Speaker, Sir, the Committee carried out the vetting process and examined the curriculum vitae and the additional information that was given to us by the members of the Vetting Board, whom we had invited. They are not the appointing authority, but we just wanted to know something about the entire process and their proceedings. Some Members of the Committee, using the self help remedy, googled the names of some of these nominees and we found that they are held with high regard in the countries where they come from. Hon. Speaker, Sir, one of the hon. Members of the Committee happens to have met one of these nominees and gave us oral information that he is well regarded in his own country. We examined the academic qualifications. We also examined employment records of these nominees as well professional affiliations. We also examined their knowledge of relevance through their CVs and their overall suitability for the positions in which they had been recommended for appointment. Our observation with regard to these nominees was as follows:- With regard to Hon. (Rtd). Justice Barnabas Albert Samalta, we found out that he was formally the Chief Justice of Tanzania and he did a lot of legal work in Tanzania. In particular that we noted was that in 2011, a facilitation volume, Rule of Law versusRulers of Law; Justice Samalta’s Road to Justice was published by the School of Law of the University of Dar es Salaam and I would like to quote verbatim what he said; they celebrated this former Chief Justice and they said “he is an example of an ethical lawyer whose integrity cannot be questioned, making him worthy for the younger generation to emulate and draw inspiration from.” We found that this particular nominee was suitable for the position he had been proposed or nominated to. With regard, to Hon. Lady Justice A.E.N. Mpagi-Mahigeine, the former Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda, we found that she retired having served the Judiciary for over 25 years in her own country and that she was born in 1942. She has held various positions, distinct within her own country and we found that she has offered distinguished services with regard to human rights in her own country. We found that she was suitable for the position. With respect to Hon. Justice Joseph De Silva, the former Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, we also found that he has been regarded as a scholar in his own right having served as visiting lecturer in various universities, in particular the University of Sri Lanka where he has been lecturing in criminal and procedure law. We found this nominee to be suitable for the position that he has been nominated for. Hon. Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, on behalf of the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, I would like to present the following recommendations to this House: That pursuant to Section 9(13) of the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Act as amended in 2011 and Standing Order No.199 and in order to enable the vetting process to proceed to"
}