Do you think our magistrates and judges are fair when it comes to granting bails for criminal offenses?

NO. I think who ever grants bails for criminal offenses fairness does not prevail. In most cases, bail, except for a few cases including murder suspects is constitutionally allowed. But an accused may spend months sometimes in remand if he or she is not able to meet the bail conditions which are sometimes difficult. But a well known person may spend just a few hours before he or she is released.
J.N. Kamania – Paralegal

NO. In most cases, bail is not fairly granted. It is a well-known fact that some officials in the judiciary are notorious when it comes to receiving bribes. I once carried a small investigation and noted that the accused persons whose cases involve big sums of money either by embezzlement or theft do not get deterrent punishments compared to those who commit small offenses. May be the explanation for this is that they are able to bribe their way out.
Ndimuyo M. Mukaya – Artist

YES. I think authorities who grant bail are fair because they are guided by the laws of the land. And in most cases, magistrates and judges set criteria for granting bail that we laymen fail to understand. In some cases, bail is not granted for the safety of the accused once he is out in the society. In some cases bail is not easily given for the reasons that the accused may manipulate the evidence once released. So it is always good to evaluate the reasons.
Mussa Uwezo – Retired Public Servant

NO. I think in most cases, when it comes to granting bail, authorities are not fair. The current economic hardships coupled with low wages paid to the authorities easily attribute to accepting bribes. This trend has caused some of the authorities to turn remandees into ‘projects’ whereby they give priority to granting bails to those who can part with something. This is, no wonder, if you go to remand prisons, you may discover that some remandees with petty crimes spend long periods in remand.
Paulina Egidius – Trainer

Compiled by Timothy Kitundu.