- Such facilities provide safe spaces where children can fully participate and be heard during court hearings.
- Over the years, little attention was being given to women and children as a category of people that require special attention in the physical spaces in which justice was administered
The Mbale High Court Circuit has launched a child care centre presided over by the Head of the Circuit, Justice Godfrey Namundi.
In his remark, Justice Namundi applauded the Judiciary administration for the innovation of setting up child-friendly facilities at courts stating that such facilities provide safe spaces where children can fully participate and be heard during court hearings.
He added that the spaces offer an opportunity to court staff to nursing their children when they are at Court.
“It is in this spirit that the Judiciary management set up the Child Care Centre and the Child Witness Protection Room at Mbale High Court to minimize the many obstacles in realizing the right to access justice for children" he noted.
Adding, "Children’s access to justice requires a system that fully respects and protects the rights of the child; and also a system that children can understand, trust and feel empowered to use, including when they are exposed to violence as victims, witnesses and alleged offenders".
Justice Namundi prayed that the said centre should live up to its expectations and offers the services, it is meant to and expressed his gratitude to the Judiciary Management for ensuring that Mbale High Court is among the first courts to have such a facility in place.
He called upon all stakeholders to exercise their roles to ensure the facility is preserved and justice for children is served.
Meanwhile, the Chief Registrar, Her Worship Sarah Langa Siu, noted with concern that over the years, little attention was being given to women and children as a category of people that require special attention in the physical spaces in which justice was administered.
She however noted that this was changing with courts being more intentional about facilities that safeguard the dignity of women and children.
“In planning new Court structures, we could not remain with old mindsets and go without catering for child care centres.
At all our new court premises, we have standardized child care facilities that are centrally set up to ensure that the facilities are the same across all our courts" her Worship Langa Said.
She explained that the Centre is meant to provide a place where working mothers and, or lactating employees can safely breastfeed or express breast milk for their babies, and children can play, as well as rest when the need be and that it will be utilized by children below the age of 18 years, who are accompanied by adults.
The Judiciary hopes that the child care centres will lower rates of absenteeism of nursing mothers, increase morale and activity and provide a return on investment by making the lives of mothers as well as their children more bearable while they are at Court which is part of having a meaningful experience of justice.