The Judiciary has made notable strides in improving access to justice, registering a 58% case disposal rate and concluding over 250,000 cases in the Financial Year 2024/2025.

Despite these gains, case backlog remains a key challenge, currently standing at 24.2%.

The developments were revealed during the launch of the Judiciary’s Annual Performance Report, officiated by Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny Dollo at the Judiciary headquarters in Kampala.

According to Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo, the increase in case disposal is attributed to the expanded use of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, increased court sessions, plea bargaining camps, and mediation.

The report, launched in accordance with the Judiciary’s mandate under the Administration of Judiciary Act, 2023, fulfills the requirement for the Judiciary to publicly account for how it utilizes its allocated funds each financial year.

In the Financial Year 2024/2025, the Judiciary was allocated a budget of 442.263 billion shillings, of which 428.133 billion has so far been spent in the administration of justice.

Using these resources, the judiciary has disposed of 279,630 cases out of the 450,124 cases registered during the year, with High Courts and Magistrates’ Courts outperforming other levels in case handling and disposal.

Renovation, maintenance, and construction of courts across the country, including the completion of Rukungiri High Court and Budaka Chief Magistrates Court, as well as ongoing construction at Nakasongola, Soroti High Court, and Tororo High Court, have been among the Judiciary’s key achievements.

The increased use of ICT in case management has also contributed to the rise in case disposal.

Despite a reduction in case backlog from 26.3% in FY 2023/2024 to 24.2% in FY 2024/2025, backlog remains a significant challenge due to factors such as understaffing in courts and inadequate budgetary support.

To improve service delivery, the Judiciary aims to focus on strengthening case adjudication, enhancing court automation, and constructing more courts in the financial year 2025/2026.

During the report launch, the judiciary also unveiled a compendium on enhancing electoral justice in Uganda, aimed at simplifying the process of handling and filing electoral petitions.

The report was launched under the theme Strengthening the Administration of Justice.