Judiciary trains 22 community paralegals in Teso
By Robert Edwomu
Soroti City – 7, September 2021: Judiciary has trained 22 ‘Court Annex Mediators’ (paralegals) across Teso Sub-region on dispute resolution mechanisms. The trainees are expected to help Courts on mediation cases.
The community paralegals are also expected to play a neutral role and create an enabling environment for the aggrieved parties.
Paralegals are persons trained in subsidiary legal matters but not fully qualified as Lawyers.
The training was organized by TERELEPAR, a Christian Faith-based organization fostering peace and reconciliation programs in the eastern region.
David Wantugusi, the High Court Judge of Uganda says the training is aimed at reducing Court backlogs and controlling the overwhelming flow of cases in Courts.
Wantugusi challenges communities to use the Paralegals to resolve disputes, adding, “Because Courts never give a balanced judgement like medications offers.”
He states that the decision from the Court is always a painful one because one party must win as the other loses which does not bring peace between the two parties but arbitration does.
John Ojao is the Executive Director TERELEPAR. He says the participants were selected from the ten districts of Teso.
“We derived this after a research that established Courts of Law were overwhelmed with cases which could be handled,” he adds.
Bishop Kokas Olupot of Christ Miracle Ministries said he has gained skills on how to handle intercession without being seen as a Judge on one side but rather as a neutral arbitrator.
Christine Agwang, another beneficiary reveals that she was shocked to know that arbitrations restore relationship and peace of the grieved parties as opposed to the Court judgment.
Sam Ogwang, another trainee articulates that some people developed mistrust on them just because of the manner they handle cases but the current refresher training now calms the suspicions.