MINISTER MAO ASKS MPS TO ABOLISH CENTER FOR ARBITRATION DISPUTE RESOLUTION.

15TH OCTOBER 2024

BY,ISAAC SENABULYA

The Minister of Justice Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, has claimed that Ugandans dislike the rationalization policy because their minds have been poisoned that their Government is inept, yet it is the same Government that has kept their country safe from Al Shabab and iron bar hit men attacks while they walk in the night.

He made the remarks while appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to defend the proposal by Government to merge Uganda Human Rights Commission with Equal Opportunities Commission, and also transfer the roles of Uganda Law Reform Commission to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

“And also perhaps, because the minds of so many people have been poisoned, that Government is so inept, but this is the same Government which guards our borders, so that nobody attacks Uganda and then people say, the Government is doing nothing. But this is the same Government which guarantees the territorial sovereignty of Uganda so that everybody finds it very risky to attack Uganda. You ask Al Shabab, but you find people saying, no, we need this agency because Government cannot do it.

He instead asked Ugandans to trust their Government and debate the issue of rationalization objectively noting, “This is the same Government that ensures that when you are walking home, Katayimbwa people don’t kill you. It is this same Government. This is the same Government. I know there is a question of trust, but let us discuss it objectively.”

Mao asked the Legal Committee to approve the abolishing of the Center for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution and make it a department in the Ministry for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, saying the new department will ensure that those who practice alternative case distribute resolution are trained.

He explained, “This is something which we can’t gamble with, so the Department will prepare materials for training. The Department will also accredit those to practice alternative dispute resolution. I have now on my desk, people requesting to be accredited as mediators, but we don’t have a basis for accrediting them. These aren’t controversial Bills because it is in line with the Government policy on rationalization which I believe Parliament also supports. It is intended to free resources to save money.”

Minister Mao further defending the abolition of the Center for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, saying the reasons were premised on the survey of lawyers, which found that this body, is inept and thus, was not really adding a lot of value.

“The American President Ronald Reagan once said, while describing his Government in America, that it is like an alimentary canal of a baby, with a huge appetite at one end, and no sense of responsibility at the other end. It is therefore, the duty of the August House to align itself with the intentions of Government to use resources optimally,” added Mao.

He also defended the merger of the Equal Opportunities Commission with the Uganda Human Rights Commission, saying this will lead to the formation of one body known as the Uganda Human Rights & Equal Opportunities Commission.

Additionally, the Minister also detailed plans by Government to dissolve the Uganda Law Reform Commission and establish a department for law reform in the Ministry responsible for Justice. The work will continue. Some people think when we rationalize Law Reform, it is as if there will be no work going on.

There was a debate about alternative dispute resolution which the Ministry of Justice is championing and very soon, the Cabinet is going to start discussing the Alternative dispute resolution policy, I believe by November 2024, Cabinet would have approved it and if there is need to follow up with any legislation, we will be back.

The reason why this is very important is because, so many judges take too long in court and yet, the judges aren’t parties to the case, these cases are between people. And the purpose of alternative case dispute is to get qualified people to mediate between the two parties so that a solution is found to mediate between the two disputing parties.