The Deputy chief justice, Justice Dr Flavian Zeija has urged general public and court users to embrace mediation and reconciliation to settle disputes as a means of fostering justice, equity, and efficiency.
According to Justice Dr Zeija this will be done through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Plea Bargaining mechanisms to expedite justice, reducing trial costs, and decongesting prisons and case backlog.
Speaking at Ntungamo Magistrate’s Court during the court open day today, he revealed that the judiciary has started training religious and traditional leaders, and people of high integrity in the community to be court mediators.
Cue in…………………..DCJ on mediation
He outlined key ongoing reforms, including the decentralization of the Court of Appeal to regional levels, expansion of High Court circuits, recruitment of more judicial staff and the rollout of mobile courts.
The Ntungamo magistrate court His worship Gordon Muhimbise noted that the judicial officers have intensified the operation dubbed “Operation Backlog Clearance” (OBC) to get rid of old cases from the system using first in first out criteria in hearing such cases.
His worship Muhimbise said the Ntungamo district had earmarked 2 hectares of land for construction of High court premises where subdivision has already been done and it is at the stage of transferring the land title into the names of Judiciary.
The Ntungamo RDC Miriam Kagaiga Mugisha, LCV chairman Samuel Mucunguzi and CAO Kiiza Fedelis asked Courts to strengthen systems in administering justice, especially with increasing cases of money lenders and corruption.
The Court Open Day is part of the Judiciary’s broader strategy to enhance transparency, accountability, and access to justice, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
