The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has called for concerted action by government and justice-sector stakeholders to improve the welfare, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the law.
Lady Justice Abodo said it was time for the government and its partners to move beyond plans and commitments and implement tangible interventions to improve conditions at juvenile rehabilitation facilities.
She made the remarks on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre (KNRC) in Mpigi District, where she toured the facility, interacted with children undergoing rehabilitation and witnessed some of the challenges affecting the centre.
“We should now really move from planning to action,” Lady Justice Abodo said, urging government institutions to take greater responsibility for providing basic services required to rehabilitate children in their care.
The visit brought together representatives from the Judiciary, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) and the Embassy of Sweden, among other stakeholders.
Lady Justice Abodo said the visit offered justice-sector stakeholders and development partners an opportunity to assess how interventions in juvenile justice are being implemented and understand the conditions under which children are rehabilitated.
She commended the staff at Kampiringisa for continuing to serve under difficult circumstances, saying the rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law requires patience, compassion and understanding.
“You need a lot of compassion and patience. Keep looking at them as children, not through the offence that they committed. Look at the child behind that offence. They have stories,” she said.
The Principal Judge said the conditions at Kampiringisa demonstrated the need for increased government investment in juvenile justice institutions.
She called on the Ministry of Finance, Parliament and other relevant institutions to visit Kampiringisa and other juvenile rehabilitation facilities to appreciate the challenges firsthand and make informed decisions on resource allocation.
She said the country should not continue relying heavily on donors and well-wishers to provide basic services for children placed under government care.
Lady Justice Abodo also challenged justice-sector institutions to critically examine how children are handled and sentenced, saying decisions should be guided by the best interests of the child and the prospects of rehabilitation.
“When you are deciding that you want this child to go to Kampiringisa, you should ask yourself: will it help the child?” she said.
She noted that children are still at a formative stage and that mistakes committed at a young age should not determine the course of their entire lives.
“The mistake they made does not define them. They made that mistake. They can actually change. They can become totally different people. The trajectory of their life can change totally,” she said.
The Principal Judge further emphasised the importance of appropriate language when dealing with children in conflict with the law.
She said the Judiciary refers to them as young offenders rather than accused persons, noting that the language used when dealing with children can influence how they perceive themselves.
Lady Justice Abodo said the Judiciary would continue working to ensure cases involving children are handled differently, with sentencing decisions taking into account their rehabilitation and reintegration needs.
She also called for greater use of diversion, particularly at police stations, to prevent children from unnecessarily entering and becoming entrenched in the formal justice system.
