By Mulengera Reporters
Supreme Court Judge Christopher Izama Madrama, who also serves as chairman LDC Management Committee, recently drove to LDC to launch the Center’s prestigious publication called “Uganda Law Focus Journal” that was put together by a group of legal experts and researchers headed by Counsel Paul Mukiibi.
Pioneered in 1972 when ex-VP Edward Ssekandi was the Director LDC, the all-important journal had last been published in 2002 only to recently be prioritized and restored under Dr. Pamela Kalyegira’s leadership as the new Director Law Development Center.
Several others spoke at the event including the LDC Director Dr. Pamela Tibihikira Kalyegira who said the journal’s restoration demonstrated that LDC is back and ready to enrich and expand the realm of legal scholarship. The journal contains richly prepared articles focusing on contemporary Uganda’s legal challenges on issues like property rights in cohabitation relationships, the exercise of constitutional powers bestowed upon the ODPP and others.
Madrama used the ceremony to contribute to the raging debate in the country regarding the extent to which Ugandans and lawyers (whose ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde faces prison for criticising Justice Musa Ssekaana) ought to be permitted to criticise Judges and decisions coming from their courts. Madrama asserted that in a democratic society which Uganda aspires to be, there is nothing that should stop Ugandans or even lawyers from analysing and subjecting actions of judges and court decisions to scrutiny.
Encouraging legal scholars to often scrutnise and incite public debate into the performance of the judiciary, Madrama said that no judge should be expected to get angry or take any offence upon being criticised or subjected to public scrutiny in any public forum. He made it clear that judicial officers are servants of the people who should be prepared to be accountable for their actions at all times. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
