THE PROBLEM OF LENGTHY PRE-TRIAL DETENTION IN UGANDA
Table 3 shows that certain comparisons are not advisable, because of the small numbers of cases in some data sets. It makes statistical sense to compare mean time on remand for the following: •
Court Martial versus Magistrates Court for cases with a maximum penalty of 5-10 years
•
Court Martial versus High Court for capital cases.
Table 4 shows mean times on remand for the combinations of maximum penalty and court with jurisdiction of Table 3. When there are fewer than 20 cases the comparisons are of questionable value, and thus they are not displayed. Table 4: Penalty
Mean Days on Remand by Court with Jurisdiction and Maximum Court with Jurisdiction Magistrates Maximum Penalty
Court Martial
High Court
Court
0-1 yrs
44.93
1-5 yrs
54.47
5-10 yrs
330.92
73.79
10-15 yrs
75.57
Life
98.41
Death
678.7
394.01
For detainees facing a maximum penalty of 5-10 years, the mean time on remand is much greater for the Court Martial than for the Magistrate's Court (331 days as compared to 74). Table 5 shows the distributions. The Court Martial has detainees on remand for the longest time periods on average, but the very longest (in terms of days) was for a person under the jurisdiction of the Magistrate's Court. Table 5: Number of days on Remand with maximum penalty 5-10 years General Court Martial Compared to Magistrates Court
Time on Remand
Court Martial
0-60 Days
Magistrates Court
Total
25
409
434
61-180 Days
13
282
295
181 Days - 1 yr
7
29
36
1-2 yrs
19
7
26
2-3 yrs
4
0
4
44