By; Charles Katabalwa
The Chief Justice, Bart Katurebe has said suspects should not be forced to sign plea bargaining agreements.
Plea bargaining is a negotiated agreement between the prosecution and an accused person represented by a lawyer. Once a deal is struck, the accused person is brought before a judge to plead guilty to the charges against him or her in exchange for a lesser sentence.
The judiciary argues that plea bargaining promotes reconciliation in society, reduced case backlog, and de-congests prison facilities.
Speaking at the fourth Annual National Plea Bargain conference held at Imperial Royale Hotel on, Justice Katureebe said that suspects should not have to plead guilty to a crime they have not committed but he or she must be proved guilty with a proper understanding of the case and the plea bargain system by the accused.
The Principal Judge, Yorokamu Bamwine revealed that plea bargaining has gained popularity over time with more than 6,000 cases so far disposed off since 2015 through plea bargaining.
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