Chief Justice urges Judicial officers  , cultural institutions to promote Alternative justice system 

The chief justice His Lordship Hon Alfonso Owiny Dollo has urged  Judicial officers to promote alternative justice system across Uganda in order to promote harmonious existence among communities.

The chief justice said that the alternative justice system is the best justice system and helps to heal communities,he gave the examples of makoput  in Acholi region .

Welcoming the new proposal to utilize Alternative justice system in Uganda,at  the  function the spokesperson of the Bamasaaba cultural institution Stevenmasiga wondered why a matter that was concluded successfully using ADR should find  itself in the court room again  ,in response to this the Ugandan chief justice justice Alfonso owiny  Dollo and the Kenyan supreme court justice prof Joel ngugi said ADR must be promoted and judges must not be ignorant to it’s usefulness,judges at all times must accept outcomes of Alternative justice system.

The chief justice said Alternative justice system is a legal matter within our laws and the constitution is very supportive of it and must not be respected by every body should undermine cultural institutions and churches when they are using ADR to resolve disputes he said

The chief justice said that judges and all judicial officials must value the relevance of ADR in dispute resolution and cited many examples where ADR decisions are final

Prof ngugi who is now a member of council of the judicial training institute appointed by the chief justice said Alternative justice system helps to resolve cases unlike courts that merely decide cases , there is a big difference between deciding cases and resolving cases.he said that under the interactive theory ,courts should promote what is done under ADR.

They collectively encouraged participants to go and help to take justice to the community by employing alternative dispute resolution .

Hon mao the minister of constitutional affairs encouraged cultural Leaders present to use Alternative justice system to find solutions in cultural institutions across Uganda and not courts ,judges should not interfere with efforts of communities in resolving their disputes .

Stevenmasiga who spoke on behalf of the Bamasaaba community gave a detailed account to the audience that included chief justice,ministers ,church Leaders , judges and Magistrates on how the Bamasaaba community resolved the impasse on their Cultural conflicts by utilizing provisions of the constitution particularly Art 246(2) which provides a formula on how to deal with conflicts in communities and section 16(1) under which the Bamasaaba cultural institution’s  conflict was extinguished and implored the judiciary to record it in  its archives as of the best cultural precedents in Uganda on how to manage conflicts in communities.

The National summit on alternative justice system in Uganda attracted participants from cultural institutions, religious Leaders, judges and judiciary and was held at Munyonyo Resort Hotel .

The training was organized by the judicial training institute to equip participants with key skills on resolving disputes in their communities by using ADR techniques such as mediation, conciliation and arbitration

It was moderated by prof Andrew khauka and former Deputy chief justice Richard Buteera and  justice chibita among others.