The Chief Justice, Dr Flavian Zeija, yesterday held a high-level hybrid meeting with the Judiciary's ICT Strategy Team at the Court of Appeal in Kampala, setting a decisive tone for accelerated digital transformation across all court stations.
The engagement focused on reviewing progress of ongoing reforms and clarifying strategic priorities as the Judiciary advances toward a fully technology-driven justice system. The Chief Justice expressed concern that some courts continue to rely on manual registers despite the introduction of digital platforms such as the Court Case Administration System (CCAS) and the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS). He called for clear timelines to guarantee nationwide rollout and eliminate parallel manual systems.
He emphasized the urgent operationalization of transcription technologies and AI-enabled tools to ease administrative burdens, improve judgment writing efficiency, and enhance case tracking. He also underscored the importance of integrating Judiciary systems with those of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Uganda Police Force, and the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to enable real-time data exchange across the justice sector.
Drawing lessons from a benchmarking visit to Tanzania, the Chief Justice highlighted a centralized model that integrates even remote courts through mobile-based solutions, allowing real-time monitoring from a central ICT hub. He observed that such a system demonstrates how technology can overcome infrastructure limitations and stated that this is the type of fully integrated Judiciary, Uganda should aspire to establish.
In her remarks, the Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, stressed that ICT investments must demonstrate measurable impact on justice delivery outcomes, including improved case disposal rates and reduced time taken to deliver judgments. She observed that funding decisions are often influenced by tangible performance indicators rather than software rollouts alone and recommended reframing ICT proposals around demonstrable results. She further noted that Magistrates' Courts, which handle the majority of cases, should be prioritized given their infrastructure and connectivity challenges.
Supreme Court's Christopher Madrama, who doubles as Chairperson of the ICT and Documentation Committee, described digital reform as a strategic imperative under the Sixth Judiciary Strategic Plan. He outlined infrastructure deficits affecting rollout, including limited connectivity across court stations, low ECCMIS coverage, insufficient hardware, and frequent power disruptions affecting virtual hearings. He presented a 2025-2030 roadmap covering policy and regulatory reforms, strengthened data protection and cybersecurity compliance, expanded nationwide connectivity, AI-enabled case management tools, integrated justice information systems, and structured change management to improve user adoption. He assured stakeholders that all artificial intelligence applications would operate under strict human oversight and ethical safeguards.
Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire of the Court of Appeal and Chairperson of the Library, Research, Law Reporting and Records Sub-committee, cited inadequate funding as a principal constraint to full ECCMIS deployment. He emphasized the importance of completing existing rollout phases before undertaking further upgrades and strengthening in-house ICT development capacity while promoting uniform standards across courts.
Court of Appeal's Justice Fredrick Martin Egonda-Ntende, Chairperson of the ECCMIS Steering Sub-committee, noted operational challenges such as document upload and download difficulties and stressed the importance of reliable connectivity and adequate infrastructure to ensure seamless court operations.
Representing the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary, the Under Secretary Finance and Administration, Ms Maureen Kasande acknowledged broader institutional budget constraints and emphasized the need for phased prioritization of ICT interventions while engaging the Executive and Parliament for additional support.
The Chief Justice reiterated his vision of a centrally monitored system capable of providing real-time data on court performance across the country to strengthen accountability, transparency, and evidence-based planning. The meeting concluded with agreement on regular review engagements, beginning with finalization of the draft ICT Policy before submission through the required processes to the Executive.
The session, moderated by HW James Ereemye Jumire Mawanda, reflected a unified commitment from Judiciary leadership and technical teams to accelerate digital transformation and build a more efficient, transparent, and technology-enabled Judiciary.
Notably present; Lady Justice Immaculate Busingye (Deputy Head, Family Division), HW Edoku John Paul (Registrar, Planning, Research and Development), HW Alum Agnes (Registrar, Magistrates Affairs and Data Management), Mr. Simon Peter Opolot (Commissioner, Policy and Planning), Mr. David Kikabi (Head ICT), and Mr. Ssinabulya Joseph (Principal Information and Maintenance Officer), among others. Also present were Senior Systems Administrators, computer programmers, systems administrators and transcribers.
Posted 19th, February 2026
