Lawyer petitions Constitutional Court over administration of Judiciary Act

By Ruth Anderah 

A concerned citizen has petitioned the Constitutional Court seeking to quash some provisions in the newly enacted Administration of Judiciary Act.

Steven Kalali private lawyer says the Act is discriminatory to some judicial officers on the lower bench as well as the rest of the public servants.

On June 19th, 2020, President Museveni assented to the Judiciary Administration Act which strengthens the judiciary as an independent arm of government.

Through the same law, Parliament approved the continued monthly payment of a salary to a retired Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice on top of a lump sum package equivalent to 2.4 percent of his or her annual salary multiplied by five and the total number of years spent in service.

In his petition, Kalali argues that it is unconstitutional and discriminatory to favor only members of the judiciary upon retirement yet they are also public servants.

The law also provides that retired judges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Principal Judge, and Judges of the High Court, will continue getting 80 percent of their salaries once they have clocked their respective mandatory age of retirement and also a lumpsum retirement benefit equivalent to 2.4 percent of their annual salary multiplied by five and their years of service, security by the state, chauffeur driven cars, annual medical and housing allowances.

Kalali says the Act is also discriminatory because it favors members of the higher bench and not those on the lower bench like magistrates and Registrars.

Kalali thus wants those provisions that he says are discriminatory nullified or a Constitutional interpretation to be given to him.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna