JUSTICE Jotham Tumwesigye of the Supreme Court was on Monday vetted and approved by parliament's Appointments Committee to represent the judiciary on the Judicial Service Commission.
Tumwesigye's approval by the committee comes three weeks after President Yoweri Museveni wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, nominating the former Inspector General of Government to the docket.
"In exercise of powers vested in the President by Article 146(2) (d) of the 1995 constitution of the Republic of Uganda, I have nominated Justice Jotham Tumwesigye as member to the JSC," Museveni's letter to Kadaga dated June 2, 2015 reads.
Presided over by its chairperson, Kadaga, the Appointments Committee interacted with Tumwesigye for close to 34 minutes.
Sources privy to the committee proceedings told New Vision that Tumwesigye's 'clean' record in public service and the need to allow lawmakers affiliated to the ruling NRM party attend a party caucus at State House Entebbe made the interface short.
"Tumwesigye has vast experience in the judicially and public service. He has a clean record and answered all the questions well which satisfied the committee," Workers MP, Theopista Ssentongo said.
Committee lead counsel, Rosemary Nyakikongoro made a case for members of the JSC to be full-time as the case is in neighboring Kenya, saying that the current arrangement incapacitates a body that has a constitutional mandate to execute.
Asked by Kadaga whether it's possible to establish courts at the smallest unit of administration like sub-counties, Tumwesigye said the judicially is hamstrung by financial constraints.
A former chairman of Uganda Human Rights Commission, Tumwesigye knocked back MP Hood Katuramu's suggestion that the judiciary be granted green light to use at source funds raised from fines.
"This may not be practical as you may think, because it may be abused by the courts of law," Tumwesigye said.
Established under the Article 146 of the constitution, JSC advises the president on appointment of the top echelon of the judiciary besides exercising disciplinary control over judicial officers at all levels.
JSC is composed of nine members – representing Uganda Law Society (2), Public Service Commission (1), two members of the public who are not lawyers nominated by the president, the Attorney General, chairperson and deputy chairperson. Read more
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