JUDICIARY Latest Features

Members of the Judiciary Top Management

Earlier, Judiciary top management headed by the Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, met the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development(General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, to discuss funding requirements for the Judiciary.

The meeting took place at the Court of Appeal building in Kampala, and aimed at reviewing. the Judiciary's funding needs for FY 2026/2027, discuss budget constraints, and identify priorities to ensure smooth operations and statutory obligations are met.

Speaking during the meeting, the Chief Justice welcomed the Minister and his team, thanking him for accepting invitation to the engagement and noting that it was his first meeting with him since assuming office as Chief Justice.

"I take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the continued support extended to the judiciary over the years, particularly the enhancement of our budget from $199 billion in the financial year 2020/2021 to $442 billion in the financial year 2025/2026," he added.

Explaining his reform commitments made at swearing-in before His Excellency the President, the Chief Justice noted that he aims to transform the judiciary into a more accessible, efficient, accountable, and technology-driven institution. In the short to medium term, he outlined operationalisation of all High Court Circuits, decentralisation of the Court of Appeal, strengthened case management, rollout of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in line with the national ADR policy, advancement of ICT through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) automation, AI-assisted transcription and virtual hearings, establishment of a delivery unit and real-time situational room, prioritisation of election petitions and high-value matters, enhancement of judicial welfare, and enforcement of zero tolerance to corruption. 

In the long term, he reported plans for a fully paperless Judiciary, permanent regional appellate infrastructure, establishment of an African ADR centre, expansion of judicial staffing, procedural modernisation, and data-driven performance management.

"All these interventions are aimed at ensuring that we run excellent court services based on the three pillars of certainty of hearing dates, efficiency, and a culture of service in all staff of the judiciary," he stated.

Explaining the Judiciary's economic role, the Chief Justice noted that the judiciary is not a consuming institution but a catalyst for economic growth, adding that the justice system is a very big factor in the economic development. He illustrated that prolonged land and commercial disputes discourage investment, whereas timely resolution encourages investor confidence and economic expansion. 

Reporting on institutional growth, he stated that in the last two financial years eight Court of Appeal Justices, 21 High Court Judges, and 82 lower bench judicial officers were appointed; High Court circuits increased from 24 to 29; and plans are underway to decentralise the Court of Appeal to eight regions. He explained that these expansions, coupled with a 41.58% rise in case registrations from317,929 in FY 2020/2021 to 450,134 in FY 2024/2025, have not been matched with corresponding operational funding.

Presenting the funding position, the Chief Justice reported that the approved budget for FY 2025/2026 stands at Shs 442 billion, approximately 0.61% of the national budget and 43% of Parliament's budget, noting this constrains execution of the constitutional mandate. He referenced the President’s earlier guidance to progressively align the Judiciary budget with Parliament's allocation.

Citing the National Court Case Census 2025, he reported thousands of pending cases, including 5,790 commercial cases involving Shs 5.981 trillion; 44,911 civil cases involving Shs 5.451 trillion; 33,496 land cases involving Shs 1.718trillion; and 12,624 family cases involving Shs 1.47 trillion. He stated that delays directly affect investment and productivity, further noting prison congestion, with nearly half of inmates on remand, underscoring the urgency of expediting criminal case disposal.

Addressing constitutional obligations, he reported that 47,566 indigent persons charged with capital offences are projected beneficiaries of state-funded legal representation in FY 2026/2027, but current resources are inadequate, resulting in adjournments and delays.

Demonstrating return on investment, he noted that following implementation ECCMIS, court fee collections increased from about Shs 3 billion to Shs 5 billion, explaining that automation sealed revenue leakages. "These figures tell a story. A few courts that are on ECCMIS are making more revenue collections than the rest of the courts in the country combined. If we can get your support and achieve 100%ECCMIS implementation, then government revenue collections, in terms of court fees and fines, will also skyrocket. It's a win-win situation for both of us," he said.

Raising operational concerns, the Chief Justice reported that this quarter's budget cuts and delayed quarterly releases have disrupted court operations, affecting locus visits, witness facilitation, and payment of state brief lawyers, leading to adjournments. He further stated that statutory entitlements for Judges, including medical and housing allowances were cut creating institutional pressure.

"The earlier commitment to progressively enhance the judiciary's budget towards 800billion remains critical for an all-round socioeconomic transformation of our country. I therefore call upon you, Honorable Minister, for your support by giving due consideration to the judicial resource needs. Together we can strengthen the rule of law, accelerate economic transformation, and guarantee that justice in Uganda is not only done, but done efficiently and without delay," he stated.

Speaking during the meeting, the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary, Dr. Pius Bigirimana, reported that the second budget call circular from the Ministry of Finance, released on 13 February, communicated the finalisation of policy statements and detailed estimates for revenues and expenditure for FY2026/2027, including the revised resource envelope and expenditure savings. He noted that the circular indicated a budget ceiling of Shs 435 billion for the Judiciary for FY 2026/2027, maintained at the same level as the approved budget for FY 2025/2026.

He also stated that the Judiciary Budget Framework Paper for FY 2026/2027,submitted to Parliament and the Ministry of Finance, reflected a funding gap of Shs 198 billion, which affects core operations. Dr. Pius Bigirimana explained that the funding gap affects core operations of the Judiciary, noting that the non-wage component of the Judiciary budget is largely statutory and charge able on the Consolidated Fund. He stated that failure to secure these funds directly affects court sessions, warning that if the money is not released, court sessions will be disrupted, including mandatory locus visits for land matters and state briefs that facilitate disposal of criminal cases. He added that limited funding affects case management, which in the long run leads to case backlog, and ultimately has an effect on the economy.

He further recalled that when they met the President, he (President) appreciated the concerns raised and promised to support the Judiciary annually toward reaching Shs 800 billion in the medium term. Dr. Bigirimana noted that the institution (Judiciary) has not yet reached half of that target, and appealed to the Ministry of Finance for consideration of an increase within the prevailing fiscal constraints.

In his remarks, the Minister congratulated the Chief Justice on his appointment, took note of the non-release of the non-wage component of the budget for this quarter, and directed his team to urgently analyse the matter for a decision, noting prevailing fiscal constraints but indicating that a solution could be found.

Regarding FY 2026/2027, he confirmed that the second Budget Call Circular had been issued and reflected improvements over the first circular and the Budget Framework Paper. He noted that efforts had been made to restore key entities to their2025/2026 budget levels, leaving the Judiciary with a shortfall of six billion shillings against the current year’s position, while also recognising additional funding requests raised by the Chief Justice.

The Minister explained that the budget is under further pressure due to significant commitments made by the President, particularly in priority sectors such as science and defence. He reaffirmed the Government’s desire to support the Judiciary and proposed continued engagement up to May to jointly manage the budget process.

"I want to commit that the desire to support you is there, but I want to ask for your support that we grow this budget together. We move together in this budget up to May. If we find a gap, if we find extra resources, we take care of your prayers," he said.

He also urged that, if all priorities cannot be funded in one financial year, the Judiciary should identify the most critical items for immediate consideration while maintaining its current funding position as a baseline.

Mr. Patrick Ocailap (Deputy Secretary to the Treasury in the Ministry of Finance),explained that the FY 2026/2027 budget will be tight due to election-related spending and rising domestic debt, now about UGX 79 trillion over the last three financial years. He advised that discussions on unfunded priorities be rationalised by comparing current allocations, proposed increments, and resultant funding gaps, and recommended that only critical, non-postponable items be isolated and sequenced over the medium term. He emphasised that the starting point should be maintaining the current year’s baseline, including reinstating the UGX 6 billion previously reduced.

During the meeting, it was stressed that statutory obligations, such as Judges' allowances and rent, must not be deferred, especially in an election period, warning that failure to meet these obligations could disrupt judicial operations, including election petition handling. It was agreed that technical teams would, within two to three days, identify non-postponable expenditures and propose a phased approach for others.

In his response, Dr. Bigirimana supported the technical review but cautioned strongly against postponing statutory payments, underscoring the risk of operational paralysis. He requested continuous development funding to avoid contractor demobilisation at ongoing projects, including the Courts of Appeal in Gulu and Mbarara, and advocated staggered financing where full releases are not possible. 

He further highlighted the importance of sustained investment in ECCMIS and ADR, citing their role in expediting case disposal, unlocking economic value, and expanding the tax base. He referenced prior commitments on ADR and commercial case facilitation and undertook to provide accountability data on case clearances and economic impact to support future negotiations.

In attendance were HW Lamunu Pamella Ocaya (Acting Chief Registrar), HW Edoku John Paul (Registrar planning, Research and Development), HW Dr. Mushabe Alex Karocho (Private Legal Secretary to the Chief Justice), HW Mwesigye Julius(Personal Assistant to the Chief Justice), Mr. Simon Peter Opolot (Commissioner Policy and Planning), and Mr. Kagoro Julius Caesar (Principal Policy Analyst)among others.

Mr.Ashaba Hannington, Mr. Hennery Sebukeera, and Mr. Moses Kabanda, among others(From the Ministry of Finance) were also present.