The role of the police in administration of criminal justice in the republic of Uganda
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Date
2018-04
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Kampala International University, School of Law
Abstract
The need for this study arose from the realization that Uganda Police Force plays a very
important role in the administration of criminal justice. When an accused person is proved guilty
before the courts of law, he I she is subjected to punishment. Thus, there is need to ensure that it
is only the guilty that are punished but not the innocent. UPF evidence, although corroborative,
plays a persuasive role in courts' decision making in cases where it is applicable. The main
objective of the study, therefore, is to examine the role of Police in the administration of criminal
justice in the Republic Aforesaid.
The study noted that there is no way the application of police evidence in the administration of
criminal justice can be effective when the respective actors in the police field are deficient of
forensic knowledge or have no local ways of enhancing the existing police knowledge they
possess. The study further revealed that there are a number of persisting factors in Uganda that
sometimes culminate into incorrect and misleading police examination results that are used in
evidence in courts of law. Examples of such factors include corruption I undue influence, poor
facilitation and time management, poor police facilities I equipment, incorrect methods of
forensic evidence collection and examination. It was also found that the small number of police
experts and the few forensic laboratories that are mostly located within Kampala do not provide
a conducive environment for an effective application of Police Force in the administration of
criminal justice in the Republic Aforesaid. Worse still, some forensic fields such as voice
analysis, image and skeleton reconstruction are found to be non-functional in Uganda as they
completely lack both the facilities and expertise. The study further revealed that in Uganda there
is no centralized body that regulates the functions of police personnel. Thus, the latter operate in
an uncontrolled environment that in effect, is likely to prejudice the process of administration of
criminal justice. Last but not least, it was found that the government does not give sufficient
support and recognition it deserves to upgrade the field of Police.
Description
A research report submitted to the school of law in partial fulfillment of the requirements for award of Diploma in law of Kampala International University
Keywords
Police administration, Criminal justice, Uganda