NTUNGAMO, UGANDA – The Deputy Chief Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, has urged the general public and court users to embrace mediation and reconciliation to settle disputes as a means of fostering justice, equity, and efficiency.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Justice Dr. Zeija stated that this will be done through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Plea Bargaining mechanisms to expedite justice, reduce trial costs, and decongest prisons while clearing case backlogs.
Speaking at Ntungamo Magistrate’s Court during a court open day, he revealed that the Judiciary has begun training religious and traditional leaders, as well as other persons of high integrity in the community, to serve as court mediators.
Cue in: Justice Zeija on mediation. RR
He outlined key ongoing reforms, including the decentralization of the Court of Appeal to regional levels, the expansion of High Court circuits, the recruitment of more judicial staff, and the rollout of mobile courts.
The Ntungamo Magistrate, His Worship Gordon Muhimbise, noted that judicial officers have intensified an operation dubbed “Operation Backlog Clearance” (OBC) to eliminate old cases from the system using a “first in, first out” criteria for hearing them.
His Worship Muhimbise added that Ntungamo District had earmarked two hectares of land for the construction of a High Court premises.
The subdivision has already been completed, and the process is at the stage of transferring the land title into the name of the Judiciary.
The Ntungamo RDC, Miriam Kagaiga Mugisha, LCV Chairman Samuel Mucunguzi, and CAO Kiiza Fedelis asked the courts to strengthen systems for administering justice, citing the increasing number of cases involving money lenders and corruption.
The Court Open Day is part of the Judiciary’s broader strategy to enhance transparency, accountability, and access to justice, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
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