JUDICIARY Latest Features

The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, yesterday conducted her first monitoring visit since assuming office, assessing progress in the implementation of the Judiciary's Time-Share Fast Track Mechanism for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases under the UN Women Justice for Her Project. The visit covered Masaka High Court, Masaka Chief Magistrate's Court, and Sembabule Chief Magistrate's Court.

In her remarks, the Principal Judge noted that the project seeks to accelerate the handling of GBV cases, strengthen trauma-informed support for survivors, and reinforce due-process guarantees for accused persons. She explained that the intervention was prompted by the magnitude of the GBV crisis, with assessments in Masaka and Gulu showing that GBV matters account for more than 75 percent of criminal cases. This, she observed, reflects widespread community violence as well as significant pressure on the justice system.

Lady Justice Abodo highlighted that for years, the Judiciary's efforts had been constrained by inadequate resources, limited special sessions, case backlog, and weak victim-support structures, challenges that affect both access to justice and the quality of legal outcomes. She said the fast-track mechanism, developed in partnership with the Austrian Development Cooperation and the Administration of Justice Programme, aims to restore efficiency, dignity, and compassion in the handling of GBV cases through strengthened pre-trial preparation, expanded courtroom technology, enhanced staff capacity, improved trauma-informed services, andbetter support for accused persons.

She emphasized that although the project is expected to reduce backlog and improve outcomes, justice must never be reduced to statistics. She stressed that performance indicators and timelines should not compromise the quality of judicial decisions or the safety and dignity of victims. She added that the monitoring visit demonstrates the Judiciary's commitment to close oversight to ensure that clearance targets do not undermine due process or survivor protection. She reaffirmed that the fast-track mechanism represents a promise to survivors, to communities seeking safety, and to the country's constitutional vision, and called on all actors to work collectively to make its implementation effective and sustainable.

During the visit, Lady Justice Victoria Katamba, Head of Masaka High Court Circuit, reported that the recent training and GBV census revealed 578 cases at the High Court and 237 at the Chief Magistrate's Court. She explained that the majority of High Court files,410 in total, relate to Aggravated Defilement, a trend she attributed to harmful cultural practices in the area. She noted improvements in file organization and clerical capacity following the training but cited continuing challenges such as limited space, understaffing, and an overwhelming workload. She appealed for the deployment of an additional judge and for the operationalisation of the High Court in Rakai to ease congestion.

At Masaka High Court, Dr. Katja Yvonne Kerschbaumer, Head of the Austrian Embassy and Development Cooperation, commended the strong partnership between the Austrian Government, UN Women, and the Judiciary. She said the monitoring visit provided an opportunity to assess progress and strengthen collaboration. Dr. Kerschbaumer described GBV as a violation of human rights that harms individuals, weakens families and communities, and undermines national development. She urged justice institutions to continue working together to improve access to justice and called for greater attention to often-neglected forms of violence such as emotional and economic abuse.

UN Women Country Representative, Ms. Paulina Chiwangu, emphasized the importance of strong leadership in driving progress and commended the Judiciary for contributing financially to the project even during periods without donor funding. She reiterated the need for sustainable, locally supported justice initiatives and noted visible improvements during the visit, including better registry organisation, accurate census data, and renewed staff commitment. She reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to supporting data-driven reforms within the Judiciary.

In Sembabule, the Chief Magistrate, HW Ninsiima Marion, reported that 76 GBV cases had been identified during the census, most of which involved sexual offences often linked to early marriage and entrenched cultural practices. She said the training had greatly enhanced clerks' ability to identify and categorise GBV matters and had improved registry order and accuracy. She noted that some GBV indicators are not easily detected at filing and only become apparent during testimony. She thanked partners for their continued support and pledged the court’s commitment to maintaining standards, strengthening case management, and ensuring timely, survivor-sensitive justice.

The monitoring visit also included inspections of court premises, a community baraza on access to legal aid services, and direct engagements with community members on justice concerns. 

Present were judicial officers in various capacities and representatives from partner institutions, including UNWomen, the Austrian Development Cooperation, the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Prisons Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Uganda Law Society, and Justice Centres Uganda, as well as court support staff and members of the public. 

Notably in attendance were Lady Justice Fatuma Nanziri Bwanika, Resident Judge Masaka; HW Katushabe Prossy, Registrar High Court; HW John Paul Edoku, Registrar Planning, Research and Development; and HW Karungi Loe, Deputy Registrar Masaka. Ms. Beatrice Mulindwa, Project Manager for the Justice for Her Initiative at UN Women, and Ms. Beate Farukoye, Deputy Head of the Austrian Development Cooperation, also participated. The day's engagements were moderated by Mr. Deo Akugizibwe, Communications Officer, Judiciary.