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{
    "id": 599731,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/599731/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 131,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kajuju",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 840,
        "legal_name": "Florence Kajuju",
        "slug": "florence-kajuju"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Members who have spoken before me and the Leader of the Majority Party. It is unfortunate that we are debating this issue through a letter or memo written by the CJ. I am happy that he is willing to appear before the PAC. We had this issue last year with the CJ in the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. At that point in time, the CJ totally refused to appear before the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. Our indication to him was that our Standing Orders allow us to summon any person to appear before the Committee. That was when the CJ ought to have seen that there was a red flag and started engaging Parliament to see how we could redress some of the issues that might arise. This has happened with the PAC. It is more important to him to appear before the PAC because his appearance is with regard to accountability issues. Therefore, he feels that as the Chairperson of the JSC he cannot run away from this position. Some of the issues that were addressed in the memo today are matters that have been dealt with by media reports. We have seen a lot of it in the newspapers where allegations are being made that the CJ was not given an opportunity to defend himself. I do not think that was the right way to go. The way he has come to Parliament now ought to have been the right way for him to have addressed Parliament at the initial stage. That does not cure the problem. We have a bigger problem as far as our laws are concerned. When he wrote to the then Chairperson of the PAC on 9th June that he was willing to submit himself before the Committee, he ought to have stated in what capacity he would appear and what hat he would be wearing then whether as the President of the Supreme Court or as the Chairperson of the JSC. As it has been said by Hon. Members who spoke earlier on, time has come for us to address our minds as to whether we can summon the President of the Supreme The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}