JUDICIARY Latest Features

The Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, has reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with Justice Defenders Uganda in expanding access to justice, embracing digital transformation, and improving legal aid services for vulnerable persons across the country.

The commitment was made during a meeting held at the Supreme Court in Kampala with a delegation from Justice Defenders Uganda led by the Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Peter Tibigambwa. He was accompanied by the Country Programme Manager, Ms. Deo Patience Candia, and the Legal Officer, Mr. Canaan Nkamuhabwa. Also present was the Chief Justice’s Personal Assistant, HW Julius Mwesigye.

The meeting provided an opportunity to brief the Chief Justice on the Commonwealth Scholarship Programme, update him on Justice Defenders Uganda’s ongoing and planned programmes, discuss operational challenges, and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration with the Judiciary.

Mr. Tibigambwa conveyed greetings from Justice Defenders Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alexander McLean. He informed the Chief Justice that the organisation had recently launched its new strategic plan in Kenya, an initiative aimed at mobilising greater support for its work across the region. He acknowledged the Judiciary’s continued support for Justice Defenders’ programmes in Uganda.

He also announced that Justice Defenders Uganda had expanded its legal aid services to Kalangala District, complementing the Judiciary’s ongoing efforts to improve access to justice for island communities.

On capacity building, Mr. Tibigambwa briefed the Chief Justice on the Commonwealth Scholarship Programme, through which Justice Defenders has secured four fully funded places for Uganda. The programme will support two judicial officers; either Chief Magistrates or Judges; and two officers from the Uganda Prisons Service to undertake a six-week professional exchange programme in the United Kingdom.

He explained that participants would be attached to senior members of the United Kingdom Judiciary, including Lord Briggs and Justice Robin Knowles, visit Westminster and the House of Lords, engage with a leading university’s human rights centre, and participate in a personal reflection retreat at a monastery.

Providing updates on the organisation’s programmes, Ms. Candia shared that Justice Defenders Uganda had secured funding from the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to expand legal aid services to Jinja and Kalangala districts.

She explained that the project will support inmates at Jinja Main Prison, Jinja Remand Prison, Jinja Women Prison, Kalangala Prison and Mugoye Prison, adding that the organisation had already engaged the Principal Judge and the Chief Registrar to identify areas of collaboration with the Judiciary.

Ms. Candia commended the Judiciary for its continued support in tracing court files for inmates pursuing appeals before the Court of Appeal but noted that missing case files remained a significant challenge. Adding that this was particularly where records could not be traced from either trial courts or appellate courts, resulting in delays in the administration of justice.

She further reported positive engagement with the Judiciary on the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), saying discussions had focused on enabling prison officers and Justice Defenders legal officers to electronically file court documents directly from prison facilities.

The team also highlighted a recent breakthrough in tracing a long-pending criminal appeal before the Court of Appeal, attributing the success to the Judiciary’s support. They added that the rollout of ECCMIS had significantly improved remote filing, reducing the need for physical travel to court.

Responding to the concerns, the Chief Justice explained that challenges relating to missing court files largely stemmed from earlier judicial decisions requiring the release of accused persons where court records were unavailable. He noted that the situation had, in some instances, created opportunities for deliberate interference with court files, including the removal of judgments and other critical documents.

He, however, expressed confidence that ECCMIS would substantially address these challenges by strengthening the digital management, preservation and retrieval of court records, reducing the risk of file loss or tampering while improving efficiency across the justice system.

The Chief Justice also highlighted the unique justice delivery challenges in Kalangala District, noting that its scattered island geography continues to hinder access to court services.

He explained that residents of remote islands, including Mazinga, often incur significant transport costs and face difficult travel conditions across Lake Victoria to access courts.

To bridge this gap, he said the Judiciary had adopted a mobile court model and procured boats to take justice services closer to island communities. While a smaller boat is already being used for locus visits, he noted that a newly acquired 30-seater boat will facilitate mobile court sessions by transporting judicial officers, prosecutors, defence counsel and court staff to the islands to hear cases closer to the people.

Justice Zeija further observed that Kalangala’s geographical location also presents security challenges, including the movement of fugitives through island communities, underscoring the importance of legal aid services and public legal awareness programmes in strengthening access to justice.

On the Commonwealth Scholarship Programme, the Chief Justice committed to submitting the Judiciary’s nominees within one week to facilitate timely processing of the applications.

He concluded by thanking Justice Defenders Uganda for its continued partnership with the Judiciary and commended the organisation for its contribution to improving access to justice, particularly for vulnerable persons within Uganda’s prison system.