Training Needs of the Industrial Court Identified During JTI Consultative Meeting
Participants at the Consultative Meeting
The Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), Justice Prof. Andrew Khaukha, this morning led a high-level strategic meeting with the leadership of the Industrial Court to explore training and capacity-building opportunities aligned to the Court's specialized mandate of adjudicating labour-related disputes.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Judge of the Industrial Court, Lady Justice Linda Lillian Tumusiime Mugisha, expressed appreciation to the Executive Director for the engagement, noting that the Court is often overlooked in institutional planning processes.
She shared a brief history of the Industrial Court, which commenced operations in 2014 with 500 cases referred from the High Court and outlined the nature of cases handled, which include redundancy disputes, employment discrimination, unlawful termination, and dismissals.
Justice Mugisha shared that the Court's current caseload stands at 3,256 disputes and stressed that such matters cannot be effectively disposed of through conventional litigation alone. She called on JTI to facilitate training for the 204 labour officers across the country, as well as other court users, in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), observing that most labour disputes are amenable to mediation. She further identified training needs in case referral mechanisms and procedural handling of disciplinary matters noting that it is an area which often escalates into active litigation. In addition, Judge appealed for JTI's support in developing standardized mediation guidelines for labour officers and other stakeholders of the Court.
Justice Anthony Wabwire reinforced the call for specialized training and welcomed the prospect of collaboration with JTI in developing customized training materials, noting that the Uganda Legal Information Institute (ULII) hosts over 700 decisions of the Industrial Court, which could be used to create case-based simulations for training purposes.
Justice Wabwire also emphasized the need for heightened public awareness of the Industrial Court's mandate, proposing the use of radio and television platforms to educate the public on its procedures and the benefits of ADR.
Justice Prof. Khaukha acknowledged the Industrial Court's pivotal role in settling labour disputes and underscored Uganda's labour force across the Agricultural, Industrial, and that Service sectors contribute 41% to the national GDP. He committed to working closely with the Court to deliver relevant and impactful capacity-building programmes.
The meeting agreed to hold a two-day training which will be followed by a fortnightly case settlement programme.
The respective Registrars of JTI,ADR, and the Industrial Court were tasked with developing the modalities for both the training and the case management plan. These initiatives were noted to also serve as advocacy tools for the Court's work.
Present at the meeting were HW Lillian Bucyana, Acting Registrar, JTI ; HW Zulaika Nanteza, Acting Registrar, Alternative Dispute Resolution; HW Lubowa Daniel, Acting Registrar, Industrial Court; HW Obizu Mallen, Magistrate Grade I, JTI; and staff of the Industrial Court.
Posted 13th, August 2025
