The Public Ministry will introduce a private prosecutor’s office

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is set to establish a private prosecution coordination unit that will work directly with private prosecutors. The unit aims to handle private processes efficiently and ensure timely resolution of cases currently pending in court.

Speaking at the National Symposium on Private Prosecutions in Uganda at the weekend, Mr Timothy Amerit, Senior State Prosecutor, highlighted that the constitution provides for public institutions such as the Public Prosecution Service and the Office of the Inspector General to carry out prosecutions. penalties. In addition, it allows private processing by individuals or other authorities.

“The ODPP position is clear. “We respect the Constitution and the fact that people have the right to initiate criminal proceedings as they see fit, whether through a police officer at a police station or acting directly as private prosecutors,” Mr. Amerit said.

He added: “We have a General Case Work Department, which deals with many of these cases. However, the ODPP is working to establish a private prosecution coordination unit that will work directly with private prosecutors once it is operational.”

Amerit noted, however, that cooperation from some private prosecutors has been difficult, affecting the efficient handling of cases.

“Private prosecutors often do not cooperate with the ODPP and my colleague Mabirizi, for example, tends to keep his cases separate from us. This lack of cooperation is the reason why 83 percent of the cases we have taken on have made little progress,” he said.

He added: “Some cases require evidence from particular institutions that may be reluctant to reveal information. Public institutions and investigative agencies like the CID often face challenges in accessing evidence. This difficulty is even greater for individuals, but thanks to our collaboration with different stakeholders, we can sometimes obtain the necessary evidence.”

It is worth noting that last year, Parliament granted Busiki County MP Paul Akamba permission to introduce a private member’s bill, seeking to end private processes in Uganda and reserve them only for the State.

One of the prominent private prosecutors, Mr. Hassan Male Mabirizi, stated that 83 percent of the private prosecution cases reported to the courts belong to him, noting that the Constitution of Uganda and section 42 of the Law Magistrates’ Courts provide extensive provisions to support private criminal proceedings.

“83 per cent of reported private prosecution cases, from the High Court and above, are mine. This underlines the constitutional framework that allows for private prosecution,” Mabirizi said.

Adding: “If we do not normalize private criminal proceedings and leave the criminal justice system solely in the hands of the Uganda Police and state prosecutors, who are often incompetent or corrupt, Ugandans with genuine grievances will never have their day in court.” . “Private prosecution offers an alternative path to justice for victims when the police lack interest, resources or have ignored the matter.”