JUDICIARY Latest Features

Earlier, the Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, presided over the Judiciary's 1stAnnual Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Performance Review Meeting, culminating in the official launch of the ADR Performance Report 2025, at the Supreme Court Building Conference Hall.

The high-level meeting convened Justices, Judges, Registrars, mediators, justice   sector actors, cultural and religious leaders, and development partners to reflect on ADR's expanding role in enhancing access to justice and strengthening a people-centred justice system.

In his address, the Chief Justice described the occasion as "a moment of recognition" for mediators whose quiet, patient, and consistent efforts continue to transform the justice landscape. He noted that while judgments are powerful documents that bind parties at the end of litigation, mediation outcomes bear something equally powerful; consent, understanding, and restored human relationships.

Justice Dr. Zeija reaffirmed the Judiciary's constitutional mandate to administer justice in a manner that is accessible, timely, affordable, and responsive to the needs and aspirations of Ugandans, emphasising that justice must go beyond formal adjudication to embrace reconciliation and peaceful dispute resolution.

Citing Article 126 of the Constitution, he observed that negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation are deeply rooted in Uganda's cultural traditions and long predate courtroom litigation. He explained that through institutional reform, the Judiciary has recognised, professionalised, and integrated this indigenous wisdom into the formal justice system. He further described the formalisation of the ADR Registry in April 2024, under Section 6 of the Administration of the Judiciary Act and guided by the Judiciary Alternative Justice Systems Strategy2023, as a defining institutional milestone that mainstreamed ADR into case management and justice delivery.

According to the Report, 5,246 cases were disposed of through mediation between January and November 2025, accounting for about 4 per cent of all completed civil, land, family, commercial, and related matters. While the percentage may appear modest, the Chief Justice emphasised that each mediated case represents meaningful social healing. Noting that each resolved dispute restores families, salvages business relationships, and returns neighbours to peaceful coexistence, the true meaning of a people-centred approach to justice.

During the same period, plea bargaining concluded approximately 3,000 criminal cases, significantly contributing to backlog reduction. Overall case backlog declined from 26.32 per cent to 24.20 per cent, continuing a steady downward trajectory over the past five years. He also highlighted the successful mediation of the long-standing estate dispute involving the late Mohammed Buwule Kasasa and the Kingdom of Buganda, which unlocked property valued at UGX 1.3 trillion, as a powerful demonstration of ADR's transformative potential.

Despite the progress registered, Justice Zeija candidly acknowledged persistent challenges, including low referral rates, inconsistent uptake, resource limitations, data integrity concerns, and attitudinal resistance tonon-adversarial approaches. He noted that the legal profession's traditional adversarial culture sometimes slows adoption but reaffirmed the Judiciary's commitment to continued training and sensitisation to foster a shift in mindset. He remarked that sometimes, less litigation produces more justice.

A key highlight of the Report is the pilot rollout of the Alternative Justice System in the Acholi sub-region, which integrates community-based dispute resolution with formal justice processes while safeguarding constitutional principles and human rights.

The Chief Justice encouraged mediators to serve not only as dispute resolvers but also as ambassadors of a humane justice system grounded in dignity, empathy, attentive listening, and reconciliation.

The meeting, chaired by the Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo, also featured special recognitions for outstanding contributions to ADR. These included the Chief Justice, Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny - Dollo, who was recognized for his visionary leadership in advancing ADR in Uganda and across Africa.

The Industrial Court, was recognized for achieving a mediation clearance rate of46.7 per cent, the highest in the High Court. The Court is led by Lady Justice Linda Tumusiime Mugisha. The Family Division of the High Court was also recognised for leading all High Court Divisions in cases fully settled through mediation under Justice John Eudes Keitirima. 

In addition, Rwot Casemiro Ongom was commended for exemplary Alternative Justice System practice, including the resolution of a deeply entrenched 57-year-oldland dispute dating back to 1971.

The Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute, Justice Prof. Andrew Khaukha, thanked judicial officers for championing ADR initiatives and highlighted partnerships such as the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, whose mediation support has contributed to progress in complex cultural institution disputes.

The Acting Chief Registrar, HW Lamunu Pamella Ocaya, described the Review as a significant milestone, observing that despite improved funding, staffing, and infrastructure, rising caseloads, now at 167,000 compared to 114,000 in 2015,make ADR indispensable for faster and more efficient justice delivery.

Representing the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary, Mr. Simon Peter Opolot, Commissioner Policy and Planning, reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to mobilising resources and strengthening partnerships with development partners, including IDLO and UNDP, to sustain the growth of ADR.

In his closing remarks, Justice Dr. Zeija thanked the ADR Registry, the Judicial Training Institute, mediators, judicial officers, justice sector actors, cultural and religious leaders, and development partners for their collaboration, noting that justice is not the work of one institution alone but of a community committed to fairness and peace.

The meeting concluded with the display of the roll court accredited mediators, the distribution of the publication Architect of Dialogue Reforms: Chief Justice Emeritus Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny - Dollo and the Rise of ADR in Uganda, and a ceremonial cake-cutting to mark both the launch of the inaugural ADR Annual Performance Report and the tenure of the new Chief Justice. The programme was moderated by HW James Ereemye Jumire Mawanda, the Judiciary's Public Relations Officer.

The launch of the ADR Performance Report 2025 marks a significant step in consolidating ADR as a cornerstone of Uganda’s justice system and reinforces the Judiciary’s broader vision of delivering justice that heals, reconciles, and restores.