Resident District Commissioners, Resident City Commissioners and the District Security Committees have been advised to revisit and interpret well the presidential directive on how they should handle court orders especially on land matters.
Norbert Mao DP president
By our correspondent
This comes after the Minister of Justice Nobert Mao accused the District Security Committees of watering down decisions of court during the 15th Uganda Law Society rule of Law Symposium on Friday, November 17.
We now have a creature called District Security Committees which has put itself above the courts. In Sembabule, they held a meeting to discuss the authenticity of the court order,” Mao said.
However, Rubaga Deputy RCC, Anderson Burora says that whatever they do is with in the presidential directive and tasks Minister Mao and the Judiciary to consider the effects of their rulings on the majority public.
In reaction, Rubaga Deputy RCC Herbert Anderson Burora says that they are executing the mandate of harmonizing court orders as assigned by the head of state.
The president directed that the District Security Committees, actually not RDCs though RDCs are responsible, in consultation with the Minister of Lands and the Minister of security and they should harmonize on those court orders,”said Burora.
On the other hand, Lawyer Tonny Tumukunde accused the District Security Committees of misinterpreting the president’s directive.
“The president did not say those District Security Committees interpret court orders. If an order was issued, what you were meant to do is to take it to the RDC, the RDC reads the order to find out whether it is in the terms of the judgement,” advised counsel Tumukunde.
Burora however asserted that some court orders are also problematic and Minister Mao and the Judiciary need to be informed about the aftermath of the court rulings especially with issues related to land.
In addition, lawyer Tumukunde advised the District Security committees to know their limits but instead always file their complaints on whichever court ruling they deem dissatisfying.
“The executive has where it ends and it should not cross into the powers of the Judiciary. And if they find that there is a mistake, they must re-apply to court to allow court re-verify the order. If court has given an order, leave it to do its work,” emphasized Counsel Tumukunde.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of presidency were called upon to sit and harmonize on how will implement the directives for efforts of eradicating counter accusations.
