The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo
The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, today inspected Atiak Magistrates Court, Amuru Magistrates Court, and Nwoya Chief Magistrate's Court as part of her tour of the Gulu High Court Circuit, where she engaged with judicial officers and staff on improving service delivery, promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and addressing operational challenges affecting the courts.
At Atiak Magistrate's Court, the Principal Judge commended the Magistrate and court staff for their commitment to service despite the challenges they face. She also commended the promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and reaffirmed the Judiciary's commitment to ensuring the welfare of both Judicial and non-judicial staff serving in hard-to-reach areas.
The Principal Judge noted that access to transport is essential for judicial officers in such areas.
"A motor vehicle is not a luxury in terms of access to justice; it helps judicial officers carry out their work without having to use public means alongside litigants," she said.
HW Ebong George, the Deputy Registrar in charge of Gulu High Court Circuit, committed to following up with the local government regarding the procurement of land for the court. He also informed the Principal Judge that HW Ogwen John Timothy, the judicial officer at Atiak is hardworking and that no corruption complaints have been registered against him.
HW Ogwen went on to brief the Principal Judge about the jurisdiction of the magisterial area which covers five sub-counties, with the furthest located 46kilometres from the Court. The Court currently operates with three support staff.
He further reported that the Court has a caseload of 36 matters. It handles criminal cases every Tuesday, which are registered and handled at Amuru Chief Magistrate's Court, located 88 kilometres away. This arrangement arises due to the absence of a State Attorney and prison facilities in Atiak, a situation that has discouraged some litigants from reporting and following up their cases.
AmuruCourt
At Amuru Magistrates Court, the Principal Judge urged judicial officers to promote the Small Claims Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
She further encouraged the Court to identify and engage stakeholders who can be trained as mediators to help manage the anticipated increase in cases following the amendment of the Magistrates Act.
The Principal Judge commended both Judicial and non-judicial staff for their dedication to serving the public despite operating far from the central administration. She reassured them that Judiciary Top Management would continue to support them with the necessary tools to effectively execute their duties.
"Keep doing the right thing, for in this era of technology we are able to know everything that happens in courts, even those far away from the center," the Hon. the Principal Judge remarked.
During the inspection, the Magistrate Grade I, HW Aballa Godfrey, reported a caseload of 259 pending cases before the Grade I Court and 57 cases before the Chief Magistrate's Court.
He also highlighted several challenges affecting the court's operations, including the need for renovation of the court premises, installation of water, provision of furniture, staffing gaps, lack of judicial housing, and the need for a motor vehicle to facilitate locus visits.
HW Ebong George reaffirmed the Gulu High Court Circuit's commitment to promoting ADR and requested that the issue of motor vehicle allocation for courts be considered.
Nwoya CM Court
At Nwoya Chief Magistrate's Court, the Principal Judge commended the Chief Magistrate for the positive leadership that has translated into the excellent performance of the court and emphasized that Judiciary programs such as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Plea Bargaining, and the Small Claims Procedure should be effectively embraced by the community to enhance access to justice.
She also commended the court for organizing a Public Baraza, which promotes community engagement and awareness about court services, and encouraged the court to utilize free radio airtime in consultation with the Judiciary PRO.
The Principal Judge assured the judicial and non-judicial staff that the Judiciary's Top Management will continue to protect them from malicious complaints, provided they perform their duties diligently and in accordance with the law.
She further reaffirmed the Judiciary's commitment to improving staff welfare by ensuring that essential tools of work are provided to enable effective service delivery.
The Chief Magistrate, HW Omara Innocent David, briefed the Principal Judge on the court's performance, noting that the court currently has a caseload of 265cases and maintains a disposal rate of approximately 72 cases per month.
He also highlighted that staff welfare is well catered for through the provision of lunch, which promotes collegiality. The court also practices an open-door policy and an effective complaint-handling mechanism.
However, several challenges affecting the court's operations were noted, including lack of laptops for a judicial officer, insufficient desktop computers, inadequate accommodation for judicial and non-judicial staff, unreliable internet connectivity, lack of air conditioning, insufficient furniture, worn-out motor vehicles, insufficient motorcycles, and lack of staff uniforms.
Posted 16th, March 2026
