Masaka, Uganda: Uganda Law Society’s Greater Masaka Chapter has temporarily suspended its sit-down strike after the Judiciary committed to tackling the judicial staffing crisis and case backlog at the regional High Court circuit following high-level engagements with Radical New Bar leadership.
In a press statement issued Thursday, June 26, the Masaka Bar led by Alexander Lule confirmed the suspension was made “in response to the Judiciary’s recent press release dated 25/06/25, in which the ‘Bench’ committed to deploy visiting judges to Masaka High Court circuit and increasing the frequency of court sessions.”
The strike, which started on June 12, had been sparked by years of what lawyers in the region described as “chronic case backlog and gross understaffing” of judicial officers, leaving thousands of litigants in legal limbo across the ten districts that make up Greater Masaka.
However, following a closed-door meeting held last week between the Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija, and the ULS Leadership, specifically aimed at resolving the Masaka court crisis, which has been core for the outcome of the Masaka Lawyers decision.
“The meeting provided a platform for the Judiciary to engage with the legal fraternity and find solutions to the challenges affecting the administration of justice,” Lule wrote on Thursday.
But while welcoming the Judiciary’s gesture, he reiterated that more decisive steps were needed. “We recognize that more still needs to be done to tackle the historical issue of excruciating case backlog and inadequate judicial resources for the Greater Masaka region of more than two million people in ten districts,” the statement reads.
The Regional Bar outlined three key demands as part of what it called a “final solution” to the region’s justice crisis, among which is the deployment of at least 12 resident judges and five registrars in the short term to address the high volume of backlog and rising demand for judicial services.
They also want an immediate rollout of the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) in Masaka to digitize case tracking and improve transparency and expedited disposal of cases affecting the Uganda Law Society and its leadership, particularly those stalling the functioning of the ULS Presidency and Judicial Service Commission.
“If we had our top 3 leaders in office, communication flow and cooperation would have been easier,” Mr Lule emphasized.
The suspension of the strike comes ahead of a planned goodwill visit by Acting Principal Judge Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga to Masaka on Monday, June 30, where she is expected to interface with court users and legal professionals.
“The Greater Masaka Bar Association commends the Judiciary for its responsiveness and commitment to addressing our concerns. We look forward to a concrete deal that will hopefully end the strike on Monday,” Lule stated.
The Masaka High Court circuit, despite serving a vast region of over two million people, has for years operated with insufficient judicial officers, contributing to severe delays in handling criminal, land, and civil matters.
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