The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has appointed two Court of Appeal judges, Catherine Bamugemereire and Monica Mugenyi, to the Supreme Court in a move aimed at enhancing the dispensation of justice in Uganda. The appointments, announced on Wednesday evening, follow months of parliamentary deliberations on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which rejected a proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 11 to 21.
The House, however, endorsed the increment of the number of Court of Appeal justices by 20. The recent appointments signal a strategic effort by the Judiciary to address case backlog and improve the efficiency of the justice system in the country.
The JSC also named Stella Atingu and John Paul Edoku as acting Registrars, while Slyvia Nabagala was appointed as the Registrar of the Industrial Court. The appointees are scheduled to appear before the Appointments Committee of Parliament for vetting on Thursday, according to Maria Teresa Nabulya, the spokesperson for the Judicial Service Commission.
The rejected proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court justices was based on concerns raised by the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The committee argued that increasing the number of justices would not effectively address case backlog, and it would lead to an increase in government expenditure. Instead, the committee recommended the appointment of justices at the Supreme Court in acting capacity under Article 142 (2) of the Constitution.
Despite the rejection of the proposal to expand the Supreme Court, Parliament allowed for an increase in the number of Court of Appeal justices to address the backlog of cases.
