President Museveni has asked the judiciary to call off the strike and resume judicial operations.
The judiciary suspended its activities on Friday last week following the besieging of the High Court in Kampala by armed police officers.
The security men repeatedly ignored pleas by both the Deputy Chief Justice and the Principal Judge to leave the court premises during a bail application hearing of 10 suspected members of the People's Redemption Army and rearrested the suspects outside the court gates. The security officers are alleged to have manhandled several judicial officers in the standoff.
In a statement on Friday, Lady Justice Kikonyogo said the work of all judicial officers from the level of Chief Magistrate would be suspended until the Executive formally apologized for the violating the sanctity of the court and attacking the independence of the judiciary.
Speaking to journalists shortly after he met the senior judicial and legislative officers at state house Nakasero, president Museveni said he regretted Thursday's incident. He said the court siege was uncalled for and said the matter must be investigated.
The president acknowledged that there is no way the excecutive can operate without the judiciary. He said that the excecutive is willing to sort out the impasse with the judiciary.
President Museveni however criticized the judiciary for granting bail to the 10 PRA suspects. He said the judiciary erred by granting bail to the PRA suspects, because there is a high possibility that they would jump the bail and regroup.
He however said that the PRA suspects, currently detained in Arua and Bushenyi, can still apply for amnesty.
