Gulu, Uganda: Over 70 judicial officers from Northern and West Nile regions are undergoing intensive training in case management and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as the Judiciary moves to address the growing backlog of cases clogging Uganda’s justice system.
The training, taking place in Gulu, targets officers from High Court circuits in Gulu, Dokolo, Pader, Nebbi, Nwoya, Yumbe, Amolatar, Arua, Patongo, Lira, and Adjumani, designed to enhance skills in judgment writing, complex case handling, and ADR techniques under the Judiciary’s Case Management Component.
The Chief Justice, Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, while opening the session, said the training is timely given Uganda’s shifting social dynamics and the complexity of cases entering the judicial system.
“Trainings of this nature are justified because of the increasingly complex cases arising from ever-changing social dynamics,” he said. “ADR is the original and more relevant way of administering justice, faster, cheaper, and more meaningful to our communities.”
ADR, which was first institutionalized in Uganda in 2013, is now being revived and mainstreamed across the judicial framework as a key tool for reducing case congestion.
Uganda’s courts are reportedly handling a backlog of more than 50,000 cases, with some magistrates managing over 400 each, worsened by understaffing, poor infrastructure, and limited funding.
The ADR model being promoted emphasizes its use at all stages of litigation, pre-trial, trial, and post-trial, in both civil and criminal matters. It also introduces a peer mentorship model, in which senior judicial officers guide junior colleagues, with quarterly mentorship reports used to track performance and impact.
Nantenza Zulaika, Acting Registrar of the ADR Registry, underlined the urgency of institutional reform. “The reality is staring us in the face. Thousands of cases are filed in our courts each day. How do we handle over 1,670 pending cases in the system without long-term planning?”
She added that the training is not just meant to improve case clearance rates, but to reposition judicial officers as effective mediators in a justice system evolving toward community-based dispute resolution.
In addition to courtroom-focused reforms, the Judiciary is expanding ADR outreach to the grassroots. Future trainings will incorporate RDCs, LC1 chairpersons, religious leaders, and elders, enabling them to resolve disputes at the community level and ease the burden on courts.
The appointment of Hon. Prof. Andrew Khaukha to lead national ADR coordination underscores the Judiciary’s broader commitment to alternative justice systems.
Although ADR has demonstrated success, notably reducing case duration in the Commercial Court from over four years to under two, challenges remain, especially in rural areas where awareness is low and skilled mediators are few.
“Only 10 percent of disputes actually make it to court,” Zulaika noted. “We must embrace ADR if we want to deliver justice to all Ugandans.”
The Judiciary hopes the Gulu training, combined with ongoing reforms, will restore public trust and make justice delivery both timely and inclusive.
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