The Principal Judge Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo has opened a plea bargaining camp at Jinja Remand Prison to speed up case disposal and reduce overcrowding of prisons in Busoga sub-region.
Plea bargaining is important because it allows offenders who accept responsibility to receive lighter, more predictable sentences, encourages quick resolution of cases, reduces lengthy trials and helps decongest prisons holding thousands of remand inmates.
Five High Court judges, including the Principal Judge herself, are handling cases with plea bargaining running alongside full criminal sessions for the first time and Lady Justice Abodo praised the new approach, saying it ensures fairness for all inmates.
The Officer in Charge ofJinja Remand Prison Andrew Ochwo, reported tgat there 3,049 inmates across Kirinya prisons, highlighting the urgent need for such camps and more sessions are planned for Jinja and Iganga in 2026 to sustain progress.
Lady Justice Abodo assured inmates that pre-plea meetings and close collaboration with the Office of Directorate of Public Prosecutions and defence lawyers will guarantee fair outcomes and urged more remandees to embrace the process as sensitisation continues throughout the week.
