President Museveni routes for Traditional Conflict resolution

Uganda's President , Yoweri Museveni has advised the judiciary to study  the  pre-colonial methods of handling disputes  since they have some positive elements within them that the present legal system must emulate.

This was contained in his  message to the participants in the  ongoing two day   African Chief Justice Summit on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) organized by the Judiciary in Kampala.

The President's messaged was delivered by the Vice president Jessica Alupo.

H.E , the President  noted that one of the core principals of Africa's jurisprudence was truth finding which defers from the current legal British system that African inherited.

"In the current system, one hires a lawyer to cover his or her mistakes in a courtroom .The Lawyers job is to minimize his client's mistakes and maximize his innocence and paid to obscure the truth." President Museveni noted.

According to President Museveni, the Africans never tolerated impunity but rather committed to establishing harmony where  restoration of peace and harmony were cherished in the African system  and build disputes as an opportunity for strengthening instead of breaking societies and relationships.

He implored African Judiciaries to embrace the African concept of justice like the traditional conflict resolution Technics such as mediation, adjudication, reconciliation and negotiation .

These  he says were used by the Africans and in the end offered a peaceful and harmonious existence and relationship in a post conflict period.

Mr. Museveni pledged the government's support to the judiciary to  expand the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution  which he says will help to rejuvenate the traditional systems of dispute resolution.

He i hailed the Judiciary for holding the first ever chief justice summit noting that  the  concept of ADR is not new and existed before the coming of the colonialists and that he was happy that the African Judiciaries are realigning themselves to their African roots.