Specializing Justice For Speedy Delivery

At the turn of the Millennium, judicial systems of different parts of the world have seen the creation of specialized court divisions. Hillary Nsambu writes that this has been for the need to, not only dispense justice effectively, but also to hand it out promptly

IN equity, it is commonly argued that justice should not only be done, but also, be seen to be done. Central to this statement is the need to dispense justice, as fast as it should be, because, as the adage goes; ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.

So, in Uganda, like elsewhere in the world, the judiciary has of late transformed the legal process, creating specialized court divisions to handle matters in particular areas of law. This country originally had only two divisions – the traditional criminal and civil courts – at the departure of the British colonial rulers.

As the population grew more aware of people’s rights to redress, albeit in differing disputes, the judiciary saw it wise to create special categories of court, to effect better administration of justice. The officials created five more specialized divisions in the High Court, which has brought the total number to seven, today.