Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo Opens Week-long Plea Bargain Camp in Gulu

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Main Justice Owiny-Dollo yesterday (20th June) opened up a plea discount camp for the Acholi and Lango sub-regions at a ceremony held at Gulu Key prison as the Judiciary proceeds to phase up attempts to lower scenario backlog and strengthen effectiveness.

The plea discount camp which will past a week, the Chief Justice mentioned, is supposed to accelerate the expedition of Justice in the Acholi and Lango sub-locations.

Atleast 500 circumstances from the Higher Courtroom circuits of Gulu and Lira are predicted to be managed through the course of action, the Judiciary stated.

Under plea deal, people accused of committing criminal offense are permitted to negotiate how their cases should be concluded but ordinarily plea deal results in lenient sentences for the accused.

The prosecution in buy to help you save time, decrease circumstance load, preserve sources and raise the conviction rate trades off lenient sentences or lowered charges for an accused’s guilty plea.

It is a “mechanism for decongesting prisons,” the Chief Justice mentioned.

More than 3500 individuals have been eliminated from remand to conviction in the past 5 decades that plea discount has been carried out in Uganda.

Speaking at the function, the Director of Community Prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo lauded inmates for collaborating in the plea bargaining procedure but was speedy to stage out that the inmates shouldn’t error plea cut price for forgiveness.

She emphasised that plea cut price nevertheless involves punishment and the purpose continues to be to dispense Justice.

Abodo highlighted that it is not up to the inmates to determine their sentences but relatively their prosecutors.

Through this plea bargain camp, Gulu Resident Judge, Alex Ajiji Mackay and the plea bargain focal Judge Jane Okuo will handle funds offences whilst Magistrates from the two circuits will manage petty offences.