KAMPALA – The Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Flavian Zeija, has called upon judicial officers across Uganda to cultivate a mediator mindset as the judiciary intensifies its nationwide push for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) in response to persistent case backlog and staffing shortages.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Justice Zeija made the appeal while opening a two-day training for judicial officers from western Uganda on civil trial procedure and the importance of mediation in dispute resolution.
The training, held at the Court of Appeal conference hall in Kampala, is part of a broader initiative to equip judicial officers with modern case management skills, signaling a decisive shift in justice delivery.
Justice Zeija urged judicial officers to abandon the outdated norm of cases lingering for years, insisting that every stage of litigation must serve substantive justice over procedural technicalities.
The Chief Justice emphasized that ADR mechanisms such as mediation are no longer a mere suggestion but have been integrated into the core case management cycle.
He urged judicial officers to screen cases at the filing stage to identify those suitable for early diversion to mediation, stressing that this approach would not only help resolve the case backlog but also empower parties to be actively involved in the administration of justice.
Justice Zeija underscored the 28-day summons period and the scheduling conference as critical windows for encouraging settlement, where judicial officers must actively push parties toward resolution before hearing dates are fixed.
He further cited the 2019 Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules, which empower judicial officers to assess cases pre-trial for suitability under ADR or AJS, with the overarching goal of simplifying and expediting court proceedings.
“Judicial officers must use the 28-day summons and scheduling conference to push parties toward settlement early. The 2019 rules allow them to spot cases fit for ADR or AJS, with the simple goal of making court processes faster and fairer,” stated Justice Zeija.
Justice Zeija clarified that payment for mediation is only justified when there has been a genuine attempt to resolve the dispute, and not for cases where no sessions were held.
The Chief Justice directed that no payment should be made without a properly filed mediation report detailing the sessions conducted, attendance, and reasons for failure.
He also stressed the need to leverage technology, requiring that all mediation records be uploaded to the ECCMIS platform on the same day to ensure accountability.
Additionally, Justice Zeija urged judicial officers to minimize adjournments and adopt day-to-day hearings, reminding them that discretion for delays should never be abused.
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