Industrial Court to go fully digital next near

The strategy is set to be implemented as early as next year according to Justice Anthony Wabwire, a judge of the Industrial Court.

“Our vision is to be able to administer justice without the physical presence of any of the parties,” Wabwire said on Thursday.

“In a year or so, somebody should be able to present a case on a cell phone. All we need are cameras and we already have some support from ILO, we shall have a fully digitized space,” he said.

Wabwire was speaking at the closing of the 2nd edition of the National Labour Convention. The two-day event was held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, under the theme; “Improving Access to Justice; Equity and the Future of Work.”

DAG Wants Industrial Court Popularized

Justice Wabwire was responding to concerns raised earlier by Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi about the low visibility of the industrial court.

Justice Anthony Wabwire and Grace Nabakooza during a panel discussion pulse uganda

Kafuuzi blamed especially the workers' MPs for failing to popularise the court.

“The court needs to go outside of Kampala. It needs to reach out and teach our people,” Kafuuzi said,

“This is the role of the MPs, the Ministry of Gender, and other stakeholders. It is a responsibility of all of us.”

Hon Kafuuzi further called for regional conferences to be organised so that stakeholders can speak to the workers about the services of the court.

“We need to teach them about their rights and inform them of the the existence of this court. Let the judges appear once in a while and inform the people that the court exists,” he said.

“We tend to get a lot of complaints from the workers and we get conflicted especially when they come from within our area. But if they knew about the court, they would not be coming to us.”

Grace Nabakooza, the Head of Employment Relations and Legal, Federation of Uganda Employers revealed that the majority of the cases being handled by the industrial include, wrongful, unlawful, unfair termination cases, non-payment of dues, non-remittance of NSSF among other Labour related cases.

The convention was graced by several top government officials including, Hon Davinia Anyakun, the State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Hon Balaam Barugahara, the State Minister of Youth and Children Affairs and Hon Peace Mutuuzo, the State Minister for Gender and Culture.