MPs on Legal Committee of Parliament have questioned the argument raised by the Constitutional Affairs Minister Nobert Mao that the increase the number of justices at Supreme Court will help bridge the gap created by some of the justices who are sick & ailing. This was during an interface between Nobert Mao and the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs chairs today morning. The MPs wondered why these justices aren’t being sent into early retirement if they are indeed sick.
“There are many SC justices that are ailing as we talk now, a slight increase in my opinion, maybe not up to the number we are proposing will allow the Chief Justice the latitude to allow the court to be functional. If you have justices who are on leave, justices who are sick, justices who are busy writing judgements, on old cases, so an increased number will allow court to continue sitting,” said Nobert Mao, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
However MPs challenged this argument saying that the judges have enough retirement benefits than staying in offices when they are unable to work. “The reason we were supportive of Administration of Judiciary Act was really to say that a judicial officer really doesn’t have to die in office. Because the package is for him to live comfortably after leaving office, so if you are ailing as you say, there is only one descent thing to do, you take an early retirement. That can’t be a reason for you to bloat the Supreme court,” Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County).
The Committee will make a report which will be discussed in Parliament!
