The Government has introduced the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, 2023, with the aim of increasing the number of judges in both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court, serving as Uganda’s highest court of judicature, and the Court of Appeal, which also functions as the Constitutional Court, handle appeals from the High Court. The bill was presented by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, during a session chaired by Speaker Anita Among on Wednesday, 22 November 2023.
Speaker Among noted that the bill comprises only two clauses and assigned the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to scrutinize it, urging them to process and bring it back for the second reading the following week. Expressing concern about the piecemeal handling of constitutional amendments, Among inquired about the status of the Constitutional Review Commission, emphasizing its role in overseeing all constitutional amendments.
Mao clarified that financial constraints prevented the establishment of the commission and recommended utilizing the Uganda Law Reform Commission for the review process. Despite the absence of the constitutional review commission, he disclosed having received 80 percent of constitutional amendment proposals pending cabinet approval. Mao highlighted the Uganda Law Reform Commission’s constitutional mandate and suggested reinforcing it with additional members to undertake the necessary work.
