Jinja High Court has acquired the video conferencing system to improve access to justice, enhance the administration of justice, and strengthen the judiciary’s capacity to serve the people more efficiently.
The new facility was launched on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, by the Deputy Resident Representative United Nations Development Program, Ian King, in Uganda.
The video conferencing system allows for witness testimonies and hearings to be carried out at a distance without having to physically transfer detainees to the courtroom.
King said he was grateful for the system’s official launch and for being a part of Jinja Court Open Day, stating that it reflects the judiciary’s larger transformative vision.
“These installations reflect our joint commitment to improving access to justice, enhancing the administration of justice, and strengthening the judiciary’s capacity to serve the people more efficiently. This also reflects the judiciary’s broader transformative vision, which aims to ensure such technologies are available in even more locations, reinforcing the principle of leaving no one behind,” said King.
The chairperson of the ICT and Communications Committee, Justice Christopher Madrama, said that the video conferencing facility will save on the cost of servicing delivery without losing the essence of the courtroom setting.
The Jinja resident High Court Judge Winfred Nabisinde emphasized that deploying ICT facilities like this system is part of the solution to case backlog, and you can use the system both within and outside Uganda.
The Principal Judge, Dr. Flavian Zeija, highlighted that the system allows for the testimonies of witnesses to be carried out at a distance; transporting prisoners sometimes may be risky, and thus this has been cured by the videoconferencing facility.
With UNDP support, the Video Conferencing System has also been launched in five other facilities: Masaka, Gulu, Mbale, Mubende, and Mukono Court and Prisons, respectively.
