JUDICIARY Latest Features

Earlier, a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), led by its Head of Office in Uganda, Ms Jeptum Bargoria, met with the Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, at his chambers at the Court of Appeal in Kampala.

The meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation between the Judiciary and UNODC and explored priority areas for further collaboration, including case backlog reduction, prison decongestion, non-custodial measures, technology, environmental crime, Alternative Justice Systems (AJS), training and improved access to justice.

The other members of UNODC delegation included Ms Alejandra Euceda, Programme Coordinator; Ms Annet Koote, Programme Officer; and Mr Kissa Robert Peter, Programme Support Staff.

Welcoming the delegation, Justice Kawumi described the engagement as timely and commended UNODC for its continued support to the Judiciary and the wider justice sector.

The Deputy Chief Justice noted that case backlog remains a challenge and emphasised the need for practical interventions that support the timely disposal of cases. He also underscored the importance of continuous training for judicial officers as the justice system responds to evolving forms of crime and emerging areas of law, including environmental crime.

On prison congestion, Justice Kawumi called for greater attention to interventions that can prevent unnecessary imprisonment and promote appropriate alternatives while maintaining accountability and public safety.

He observed that imprisonment is at the end of the criminal justice process and that constructing additional prisons alone would not address the underlying challenges associated with crime.

The Deputy Chief Justice further noted that the impact of imprisonment extends beyond offenders to their families and communities, highlighting the importance of justice institutions working together to strengthen crime prevention and appropriate non-custodial responses.

Ms Bargoria said UNODC’s mandate includes addressing transnational organised crime and corruption, with criminal justice being one of its major areas of work in Uganda and the Judiciary a key partner.

She highlighted ongoing cooperation in criminal justice, support to courts, benchmarking and learning from other jurisdictions, as well as interventions relating to environmental crime.

Ms Bargoria explained that UNODC provides its support through direct implementation rather than direct grants to the Judiciary. She acknowledged delays affecting some planned interventions, including digital court systems and court refurbishment, noting that the matters had been escalated to UNODC’s senior leadership in Vienna for consideration and follow-up.

Regarding planned support to the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Chief Magistrate Court, she explained that procurement delays and changes in the global operating environment had affected implementation. She said discussions were ongoing to address the challenges, including cost implications, to enable the intervention to proceed.

And further disclosed that UNODC and the Judiciary are exploring possible areas of cooperation in AJS, noting that Uganda’s established traditional justice practices provide opportunities for learning within the broader justice system.

Registrar, Planning, Research and Development, HW John Paul Edoku, outlined several areas in which UNODC has supported the Judiciary.

He noted that UNODC facilitated benchmarking with other jurisdictions, which contributed to the development of the Judicature (Electronic Filing, Service and Virtual Proceedings) Rules, 2025.

HW Edoku also highlighted ongoing efforts to integrate the systems of key justice institutions, particularly the Judiciary, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Police and Prisons. The objective is to enable the different systems to communicate and improve efficiency across the justice chain.

He identified training on non-custodial measures as another important area of cooperation, particularly in addressing prison congestion, and expressed the Judiciary’s interest in extending such training beyond Kampala.

On public access to justice, HW Edoku appreciated UNODC’s consistent support towards the National Court Open Days, from the inaugural event to the third National Court Open Day scheduled for 10 September 2026.

He noted that the initiative enables members of the public to learn about their rights, interact directly with the Judiciary and other justice institutions, obtain guidance and referrals, and follow up on matters requiring assistance.

UNODC has also supported the Judiciary with video-conferencing systems and real-time simultaneous translation equipment.

The Judiciary further highlighted the need for support towards real-time court transcription equipment for courts, Justices and Judges. HW Edoku noted that timely availability of accurate court records would enable judicial officers to prepare decisions more efficiently and contribute to reducing delays in the delivery of judgments and rulings.

Environmental crime featured prominently in the discussions, with UNODC reporting that it is working with the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) to develop a training manual on emerging environmental crimes.

The manual is expected to be incorporated into JTI induction and refresher training programmes. An introductory training for judicial officers from different parts of the country has already been conducted.

UNODC’s support under the environmental programme also includes improvements to court facilities, particularly measures aimed at enhancing the safety of suspects and security of exhibits. These include improvements to holding cells and sanitary facilities, as well as installation of enhanced security doors for exhibit storage.

It was also reported that refurbishment works at the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Chief Magistrate Court were at an advanced stage, subject to completion of the remaining procurement processes.

The meeting further discussed prospects for specialised environmental courts. It was noted that the Ministry of Water and Environment had expressed interest in the establishment of environmental courts in different regions and had raised the matter with the Chief Justice.

Australia, El Salvador, Vietnam, India and Chile were identified as jurisdictions with experience in specialised environmental adjudication that could provide useful lessons for future benchmarking.

Other areas identified for continued cooperation included training on forensic evidence, case management, non-custodial measures and other emerging areas of criminal justice.

HW Faisal Mulalira, Private Legal Secretary to the Deputy Chief Justice, called for continued support towards benchmarking, specialised training and access to legal literature and other learning resources. He also proposed support for court moot programmes to expose law students and young lawyers to emerging areas of law, including transnational and environmental crime.

Also present wad HW Mwanja Brian, Personal Assistant to the Deputy Chief Justice.