JUDICIARY Latest Features

Earlier, a team from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), led by Ms. Nwanne Vwede-Obahor (UNDP Uganda Resident Representative), met with the Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, at the Court of Appeal building in Kampala.

The meeting aimed to obtain insights into the Chief Justice's vision for the Judiciary going forward and to explore how UNDP can continue strengthening its partnership with the Judiciary.

Present at the meeting were Ms. Annet Mpabulungi Wakabi (Team Leader, Governance and Peace, UNDP), Ms. Martha Agaba (Governance and Peace Officer, UNDP), and HW Mwesigye Julius (Personal Assistant to the Chief Justice).

During the meeting, the Chief Justice shared that the Judiciary had conducted targeted trainings for Judges of the High Court, Justices of the Court of Appeal, and Justices of the Supreme Court ahead of the 2026 General Elections, supported by the Electoral Dispute Resolution Manual developed by the UNDP and the Judicial Training Institute. He further stated that the High Court had handled and disposed of about 91 pre-election petitions arising mainly from decisions of the Electoral Commission, describing the manual as instrumental in ensuring timely disposal.

On environmental justice, the Chief Justice recalled his earlier announcement of plans to establish an Environmental and Infrastructure Division of the High Court, citing the growing prominence of environmental disputes. He indicated that a committee would be constituted to guide its operationalization, including infrastructure, equipment, and logistics, and invited potential support in that regard.

Addressing feedback from Court Open Days, he explained that the Judiciary reviews issues raised by court users and classifies them into short, medium, and long-term interventions. However, he acknowledged the need for more systematic analysis of trends to inform policy reforms.

On Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), he outlined ongoing capacity-building efforts targeting Judicial Officers, local and religious leaders, among other stakeholders, and reported that new Mediation Rules had been submitted to the Attorney General for clearance before publication. He added that the Judiciary intends to strengthen private mediation and accreditation frameworks, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and private sector actors, to expand mediation services beyond court-annexed processes.

The Chief Justice also highlighted access to justice challenges in island communities, particularly remote islands such as Mazinga near the Tanzania border, were transport costs significantly hinder court attendance. He reported that the Judiciary had begun acquiring boats to facilitate outreach and circuit services and plans to construct courts with integrated accommodation and solar power solutions in selected island locations. He also noted that support is needed to procure additional boats for courts serving such islands.

Regarding commercial justice, he disclosed that substantial sums remain tied up in commercial disputes, largely involving banks and insurance companies. He cited limited judicial personnel, stagnant budgets, and inadequate technological tools as constraints and expressed interest in expanding digital judgment-writing tools, including AI-supported transcription, and increasing the number of Judges, among other interventions. He also emphasized the Judiciary's growing use of video conferencing to conduct hearings, pre-trial conferences, and prisoner appearances, reducing transport costs and adjournments. He supported formal launch events for completed installations to acknowledge partnerships and enhance institutional visibility.

On revenue, in response to a question on how the Judiciary can use the Commercial Court to increase its revenue, Justice Dr. Zeija noted that while innovations such as the Electronic Court Case Management System have improved fee collections, all revenues are remitted to the Ministry of Finance, limiting the Judiciary's financial autonomy. He also reported that Small Claims Courts are operational at Magistrates' Courts, with proposals under consideration to raise the pecuniary jurisdiction from UGX 10 million to UGX 20 million to widen access.

Turning to legal and procedural reform, he noted that a team of Registrars had been tasked with reviewing laws and court processes that impede timely justice. He expressed concern over the absence of a case-filtering mechanism at the appellate level, noting that the Supreme Court currently has about 1,200pending appeals, and confirmed that reforms to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court Rules are underway to introduce a more effective sieving system.

On land justice, he observed that most disputes arise from competing interests on the same land, particularly conflicts between registered owners and bona fide occupants, compounded by inheritance issues. He warned that protracted land litigation discourages investment and contributes to environmental degradation, as some investors shift to wetlands to avoid ownership disputes. He suggested that limiting layers of appeal in land matters and reviewing aspects of the current land tenure framework could ease case backlogs.

In her remarks, Ms. Vwede-Obahor noted that UNDP is commencing a new Country Programme Document for 2026-2030, with administration and access to justice as key pillars. She emphasised the importance of measurable impact, particularly in reducing case backlog, and proposed more concentrated, geographically focused interventions, such as in island communities, to demonstrate scalable models.

She also suggested that, where feasible, the Judiciary could leverage UNDP's global procurement arrangements to acquire ICT and other equipment more cost-effectively, while reaffirming that UNDP’s primary interest lies in systemic justice outcomes.

Ms. Mpabulungi Wakabi noted that governance, peace, and justice remain central to UNDP's mandate, alongside environment, climate action, and inclusive growth. She outlined ongoing support to the Judiciary, including video conferencing systems, transcription services, electoral dispute manuals, Court Open Days, training initiatives, and the Gender Equality Seal, and expressed interest in scaling these interventions and strengthening impact tracking, particularly on case backlog reduction.

Ms. Agaba, Governance and Peace Officer at UNDP, sought feedback on the utilisation of the electoral dispute manual during the recent elections and reiterated interest in supporting environmental justice initiatives, including potential environmental courts.