Officers at the Uganda Police Force (UPF) have been advised to adhere to their professional code of conduct and avoid civil litigation against the force that is biting deep into their budget.
The remarks were made by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Martins Okoth on Thursday morning at the Naguru police headquarters where he had gone to opening a one-day workshop on, ‘Understanding Civil litigation from a police perspective.’
Civil litigation is the process in which civil matters are resolved in a court of law. Civil matters can be described as situations dealing with relationships between people, such as a marriage, or a contract dispute between corporations.
IGP Ochola noted that there are substantial indications that civil litigation against the force has increased significantly.
He cited some of the incidents that often lead to civil suit against police to include misuse of firearms, unlawful arrests and search, poor response to complaints, and illegal detentions among others.
He urged all Unit commanders to sensitize their subordinate officers to apply established police policies, rules, and lawful tactics to avoid a civil suit.
The workshop has been organized by the Police Directorate of Human Rights & Legal Services and is presided over by the Director of Civil litigation in the ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Martin Mwambustya.
