The Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, has emphasized the Judiciary’s commitment to modernising the administration of justice through stronger international partnerships, improved case management and people-centred reforms, during a courtesy meeting with a delegation from the Austrian Embassy/Development Cooperation in Uganda.
The delegation, led by Dr. Katja Yvonne Kerschbaumer, Head of the Austrian Embassy/Development Cooperation in Uganda, met the Deputy Chief Justice at the Court of Appeal in Kampala to discuss ongoing collaboration aimed at strengthening the justice sector, enhancing judicial capacity, promoting gender-responsive adjudication and advancing reforms to improve justice service delivery.
Justice Kazibwe expressed appreciation for the longstanding relationship between Uganda and Austria and commended the Austrian Development Cooperation for supporting initiatives that promote the rule of law, good governance and sustainable development.
He observed that an effective justice system depends on strong institutions, public confidence and strategic partnerships, noting that collaboration with development partners continues to play a vital role in strengthening an independent, efficient and accountable Judiciary.
The Deputy Chief Justice highlighted the ongoing Gender Responsive Adjudication Project under the Justice for Her initiative, implemented by the International Association of Women Judges Uganda Chapter with funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation through UN Women. He said the project is equipping judicial officers with the knowledge and skills required to handle gender-related cases more effectively, thereby improving the quality of judicial decisions and access to justice for women and other vulnerable groups.
Justice Kazibwe emphasized the Judiciary’s commitment to modernising justice delivery through improved case management, reduction of case backlog, enhanced appellate justice, increased use of technology, strengthened judicial research and expanded use of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
He noted that emerging challenges such as cybercrime, transnational crime, environmental justice, commercial disputes and digital transformation require continuous learning and closer collaboration among judiciaries across jurisdictions.
“These reforms fully align with Uganda’s Constitution, the Judiciary Strategic Plan and the national aspiration to build institutions that command public confidence through integrity, professionalism and excellence,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Justice expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Austria in judicial education, digital innovation, legal research, exchange programmes and initiatives that promote equal access to justice. He also said the Judiciary looks forward to completing training programmes, finalising judicial manuals and supporting Uganda’s participation in international judicial platforms through the Gender Responsive Adjudication Project.
He emphasised that the partnership between the Judiciary and the Austrian Development Cooperation is founded on transparency, accountability, mutual respect and a shared commitment to advancing justice.
In her remarks, Dr. Kerschbaumer congratulated Justice Kazibwe upon his appointment as Deputy Chief Justice and commended the Constitutional Court for its contribution to the development of constitutional jurisprudence in Uganda.
She identified case backlog as one of the Judiciary’s major challenges and encouraged the Deputy Chief Justice, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Judiciary Case Backlog Committee, to address systemic issues contributing to delays in the administration of justice.
Among the issues she highlighted were prolonged pre-trial detention, non-compliance with the constitutional requirement to produce suspects before court within 48 hours, lengthy remand periods for non-capital offences and continued reliance on session-based criminal hearings.
Dr. Kerschbaumer recommended a transition towards daily criminal hearings to accelerate disposal of cases and reduce the accumulation of backlog. She also advocated for greater use of Alternative Dispute Resolution and transitional justice approaches, as well as stronger monitoring of compliance with constitutional safeguards governing arrests and detention.
On gender justice, she called for a broader understanding of sexual and gender-based violence to include emotional, financial and reproductive rights violations, noting that judicial officers require specialised training to effectively address these emerging dimensions of abuse through evidence-based adjudication.
She also welcomed the Principal Judge’s proposal to establish a national taskforce on criminal justice, efficiency and prison decongestion, describing it as an important mechanism for coordinating interventions among justice sector institutions, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Uganda Prisons Service, Community Service and the Government Analytical Laboratory.
Dr. Kerschbaumer further observed that Austria’s constitutional court shares similarities with Uganda’s Constitutional Court and suggested future benchmarking exchanges to facilitate mutual learning and institutional development.
She noted that the Austrian Embassy is working with several partners, including the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Avocats Sans Frontières and FIDA Uganda under the POWER Project in Lira and Kotido to promote prison decongestion and support women and girls in conflict with the law.
The meeting also explored proposals to strengthen justice sector financing through a basket fund and considered the development of a concept paper on mission-based judges, including the temporary engagement of retired judges and experienced senior advocates to support a time-bound national initiative aimed at reducing the case backlog.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Registrar, HW Agnes Alum; the Registrar for Planning, Research and Development, HW John Paul Edoku; the Chief Registrar’s Private Legal Secretary, HW Patricia Amoko; the Deputy Chief Justice’s Private Legal Secretary, HW Faisal Mulalira; the Deputy Chief Justice’s Personal Assistant, HW Brian Mwanja; Commissioner for Policy and Planning, Mr. Simon Peter Opolot; the Deputy Head of the Austrian Embassy/Development Cooperation in Uganda, Ms. Beate Farukuoye; and other officials from both institutions.
Posted 8th, July 2026
