Justice Simon Byabakama-Mugenyi, the Masindi High Court judge has set September 29, 2015 as the date for ruling into the temporary injunction filed by lawyers representing the embattled Bishop of Kitgum diocese, the Rt. Rev Benjamin Ojwang.
This follows an advice offered by the judge on Thursday at Gulu High Court to the two parties to seek mediation and reconciliation rather than litigation.
Justice Byabakama noted that court will not solve the problem.
After seven hours of discussions, he asked the lawyers for the applicant and respondent to seek for God’s guidance saying court is not only costly but lengthy.
The judge accordingly gave the legal teams for the two parties up to September 29, 2015 to reach a peaceful settlement.
Bishop Ojwang and the current bishop of Northern Uganda diocese, Rt. Rev. Johnson Gakumba were all present in the packed court room.
Though Bishop is not one of the litigants in the case, he is being represented by counsels Dalton Opwonya and Phillips Adonga.
Counsel Opwonya says their demand is that Ojwang should be retired honorably and not disgracefully.
Meanwhile, the Province of Church of Uganda is being presented by Allan Wanyala.
In March 2015, High Court in Gulu issued a temporary injunction stopping a move by the Church of Uganda to dethrone Kitgum Diocese Bishop Benjamin Ojwang.
The ruling was follow-up of an interim order issued by the same court on February 10 that restrained Church of Uganda Archbishop Stanley Ntagali from taking over the diocese.
Lady Justice Margret Mutonyi, in her ruling, observed that following the expiry of the interim order, “the court uses its discretion to make orders to maintain the status quo pending determination of the application.”
Lady Justice Mutonyi ordered that the removal of a sitting bishop takes a process and from the pleadings, the process had started but has not yet been concluded.
The judge adds that in the interest of justice, no further actions should take place until the determination of the chamber summons or until further orders of the honourable court.
Justice Mutonyi also suggested mediation between Archbishop Ntagali and Bishop Ojwang.
