Principal Judge Preaches Judicial Wellness During Her Maiden Visit to the Commercial Division
The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, yesterday afternoon paid her maiden visit to the Commercial Court, where she was warmly received by the Head of the Division, Lady Justice Anna B. Mugenyi, and the other Judicial officers at the Division.
During a meeting with the judicial officers, the Principal Judge congratulated the Commercial Court on marking 30 years of existence describing the milestone as worthy of celebration in honor of the achievements such as timely resolution of commercial disputes which promote investor confidence, and supports economic growth, as well as spearheading and housing the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Registries, key pillars in reduction of case backlog in the country.
Judge Anna presented the second-quarter performance report, highlighting the filed, completed, pending, and backlog cases, and emphasized that the number of completed cases exceeds the number of filed cases.
Judge Anna indicated that 1,938 cases were disposed of in the Second Quarter compared to 1,407 disposed of during Quarter One of this Financial Year, making a total of 3,345 cases disposed of in the two quarters, which represents 63% of the annual target, showing that the Division is on the right track in achieving its annual performance.
The Head of the Division also commended the Judicial Officers for handling their dockets despite the numerous challenges they face.
In response to the presentation, the Hon. Principal Judge appealed to the judicial officers to deliver justice to the public in a timely manner, imploring them to be judges who deliver justice and not be adjudicating judges.
The Principal Judge underscored the importance of judicial wellness and encouraged judicial officers to participate in the Thursday Lunch Meeting of the Judges at the Division, noting that it is a platform for judges to interact, unwind, and support one another's mental and emotional well-being, which supports their health.
She assured the Division of her full support and reaffirmed her willingness to engage with judicial officers on any administrative or operational challenges affecting their work.
The Principal Judge called for shared responsibility in case management, urging judicial officers to exercise firm control over timelines, take charge of hearing dates, minimise adjournments, and develop effective case management tools. She commended the Division's continued use of mediation, noting that with the limited number of judicial officers, ADR and Mediation remain essential for resolving the high volume of cases.
After the Meeting, the Principal Judge inspected the court premises, including the archives, courtrooms, registries, and the chambers of the judicial officers.
In attendance were division judges: Lady Justice Susan Abinyo (Deputy Head), Justice Thomas Ocaya, Lady Justice Patience T.E. Rubagumya, Lady Justice Patricia Kahigi Asiimwe, Lady Justice Dr Melody Ginamia Ngwatu, and Lady Justice Susan Odongo.
Also, in attendance were: HW Katushabe Prossy (Registrar High Court), HW Justine Atukwasa (Registrar ADR Registry), HW Chemeri Jessica (Deputy Registrar in charge of the Commercial Court Registry), HW Dr. Agnes Nkonge (Deputy Registrar in charge of Mediation), HW Daniel Lubowa (Deputy Registrar at the Industrial Court), and HW Geofrey Kaweesa (Deputy Registrar - ADR).
Posted 28th, January 2026
