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{
    "id": 972142,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/972142/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 558,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitutu Masaba, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Shadrack Mose",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13390,
        "legal_name": "Shadrack John Mose",
        "slug": "shadrack-john-mose-2"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the same applies to the issue of judges. We have very few judges. I am shocked that we only have 33 judges who are dealing with land cases. On a day-to-day basis, the number of land cases and disputes that are arising between various parties, groups, organisations and institutions are on the increase but the number of judges remains constant. To worsen the scenario, even those judges who have undergone a rigorous vetting exercise and are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission to date — almost one year down the line — have not been appointed to ease the number of backlog cases. That is why we need to amend the Constitution and ensure that if the President does not expedite the process of appointing judges, say within a period of maybe 14 days, those judges should be automatically appointed. This will help this country and reduce the backlog of cases. I have seen from the Report, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the issue of alternative dispute resolution. It is one of the good relieves that the Judiciary has come up with which is a deliberate move to ensure that while they are handling cases through the normal judicial system of dealing with civil and other cases in court, they also give a chance to alternative dispute resolution undertaken by mediators and parties that set their terms of articulating those cases. At the end of the day, you will find that — as we have seen in the Report—about 700 of these cases have been resolved. I am sure, as one of the advocates that as parties engage, they would reduce the tensions that normally arise when parties go to courts and somewhere down the line, they will find a middle ground of settling cases. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in this Report, there is also the issue of the tribunals, that we should be able to come up with legislation in this Parliament. We should have tribunals that are managed by the Judiciary. I happen to practise before tribunals that are handled by line ministries and the manner in which they are handled leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, Parliament should move with speed and ensure that we come up with a tribunal Bill that would ensure that we expedite them in a fair and expedient manner, so that those tribunals are able to move with speed. Last but not least, there is the issue that has always arisen of courts delaying cases. Convictions cannot be given by the courts. It will depend on the evidence that is adduced in court by the prosecution. We should ensure that both parties are ready so that the Judiciary can proceed. With those remarks, I support the Motion."
}