Justice Duncan Gaswaga, a judge at the International Crimes division of the High court, has cautioned police officers to be meticulous when conducting evidence tracking in order to help court come up with conclusive rulings.
He said this while delivering a lecture titled “Principles Governing the Exclusion and Admissibility of Dog Evidence” to a cohort of canine unit trainees undergoing basic dog handling and care.
The session, held at the Canine Unit headquarters in Nsambya, was overseen by the unit commandant, Dr Martin Mugume and other senior officers. Gaswaga’s lecture highlighted the critical nexus between police fieldwork and successful prosecutions.
He implored officers to prioritize meticulous evidence gathering and the strict preservation of crime scenes.
“The integrity of evidence begins the moment you and your canine partner arrive on the scene,” Gaswaga told the trainees.
“The court’s acceptance of tracking, detection, or identification evidence provided by a dog-handler team hinges entirely on the professionalism demonstrated from that first point of contact. Emphasis must be placed on gathering as much corroborative evidence as possible while protecting the scene from any form of compromise.”
His address highlights the legal challenges that can lead to the exclusion of canine evidence, often related to improper scene management or gaps in the documented continuity of the evidence chain.
In his remarks, Mugume echoed Gaswaga’s call for increased professionalism and for public cooperation.
“To achieve the standards the judiciary rightly expects, this unit requires full cooperation from the public to always keep away from crime scenes. Well-intentioned curiosity can lead to contamination, destroying vital scent evidence that only our canine teams can trace.”
The trainee handlers, witnessing this rare direct engagement from the judiciary, pledged to uphold the highest standards. One trainee, Alex Olum, said, “We understand the immense responsibility placed on us. This lecture has cemented the direct link between our daily work and justice. We promise to be professional, precise, and diligent in the course of our duties.”
For context, since 2010, the police canine unit has been on a mission to strengthen the nation’s security. This ambitious expansion program has seen every police station get at least two sniffer dogs, courtesy of the rapid expansion of the unit’s breeding centre at Naggalama on the outskirts of Kampala.
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