The right kind of judicial officer

“I am but a simple human being entrusted with a noble and heavy mandate to do justice to all in line with Article 126 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. This is no mean feat. Judicial integrity does not always involve shunning bribes. Along with fighting corruption it is also the requirement of a judicial officer to have a strong mind that is only swayed by the law and relevant facts at hand.” Principal Magistrate Sheilla G. Atim

Listening to this she judicial officer deliver her ruling, the Court decision, to grant Hon. Dr. Miria Matembe bail, I felt a glimmer of hope.

Be that as it may, I also noted from her ruling the misconception of corruption that permeates deeply in our Ugandan psyche. The definition of corruption as “taking bribes or involving monetary transactions.”

With all intent and purpose, a judicial officer without “a strong mind that is only swayed by the law and relevant facts at hand” will necessarily engage in corruption.

A good example of that kind of judicial officer, I have prior described in my blog post titled: “A certain kind of judicial officer.” Simply click here to read it.

I digress, back to the point of this blog. I wanted to know more about this courageous judicial officer, moreover one so young and of the gender often branded easily intimated.

I was elated by the online search results about her.

Among them, her profile on ResearchGate “a professional social networking site designed specifically for scientists, academics, and researchers.”

Among publications on her ResearchGate profile, an article titled: “On AJA),” the highway to Judiciary independence and efficiency in Uganda? The Administration of Judiciary Act, 2020.”

An article in which the Administration of Judiciary Act, 2020 (AJA) is reviewed and discussed. A pdf version is available from Research Gate

“Whereas it can be said with certainty that the AJA is a great achievement and milestone in the independence of the Judiciary that was long overdue, there are still areas for improvement that can lead to a more independent and efficient Judiciary as have been discussed,” she wrote.

Giving me an impression she is a judicial officer who aspires to live an Aristotelian life – “achieved through the daily practice of moral virtues, rational thinking, active civic engagement, and the pursuit of lifelong knowledge.”

“The Constitution urges all stakeholders to offer the Judiciary all the assistance they need to enable them perform at their optimum in the administration of Justice. With the same spirit, all stakeholders can join together to plug the weaknesses observed in the AJA,” she wrote.

It reminded me of my keynote address to the Uganda Law Society, which I later captured in a blog post titled “Call for a T-Rex Generation of ‘criminal justice’ enforcers.” Click here to read it.

Is she among the new T-Rex Generation of ‘criminal justice’ enforcers I call and pray for?

Whatever the answer, for now, however short-lived it may turn out to be, it gives me hope to know the right kind of judicial officer such as she exists.

Civic activism rooted in humanism is the mission of blogger Owaraga Norah. On her LinkedIn profile she describes herself thus: “A Principal magistrate Grade One with the Ugandan Judiciary with experience in Legal Writing, contract drafting and negotiating, Legal Research, Litigation advocacy and dispute resolution. I am passionate about creating sustainable development solutions through legal innovation and mediation approaches that are designed to bring about lasting change. I hold a an LLM Degree form the University College Dublin in Ireland, Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the Makerere University and have three Post graduate Diplomas. I am currently based in Kampala working as the Head Legal Research in the Chief Justice’s Chambers.” Sheilla G. Atim