Ceasar

Ongoing: The Judiciary’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee is conducting training at Emin Pasha Hotel to equip designated officers with practical skills to receive complaints and support victims and survivors of sexual harassment without re-traumatising them. The training is being facilitated by international experts from THUSA Consulting: Ms Vanja Karth, Ms Jeanne Bodenstein and Ms Sanja Bornman. Opening the engagement, the Committee Chairperson, Hon. Lady Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, said the Committee recognised the need for specialist expertise to help personnel respond appropriately to sexual harassment complaints. She explained that, during sensitisation programmes across various High Court circuits, staff were asked to identify trusted colleagues to serve as focal persons. The approach is intended to enable those seeking assistance to access support within their circuits without having to travel to Kampala. Justice Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza noted that focal persons must be prepared to receive colleagues in distress, provide appropriate support and confidently connect complainants with the Committee. She said Registrars from the Inspectorate of Courts had also been invited because they may encounter sexual harassment complaints during inspections, alongside other complaints such as allegations of bribery. She noted that persons such as the Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo; the Chief Registrar, HW Agnes Alum, Lady Justice Olive Kazaarwe-Mukwaya, the President of the International Association of Women Judges Uganda Chapter and HW Daphne Ayebare, President of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association, were invited because of the roles and positions they occupy. Noting that some complainants may wish to approach them as leaders and administrators. The engagement brings together Committee members, focal persons, judicial leaders, human resource personnel and representatives of the Judicial Service Commission. Notably present; Chairperson Judicial Service Commission, Justice Dr Douglas Singiza Karekona, Committee members; Justice Kibeedi Muzamiru, Dr Asa Migenyi and Lady Justice Flavia Matovu. Present; Registrar Inspectorate of Courts, HW Sarah Tusiime Bashaija; Committee Secretary, HW Dorothy Lwanga; Committee Members, HW Martins Kirya; and Principal Human Resource Officer, Ms Caroline Aguti. The Committee was established by the Hon. Chief Justice pursuant to Regulation 29 of the Administration of the Judiciary (Establishment of Committees) Regulations, 2023. Its mandate includes receiving, processing and managing sexual harassment complaints, investigating and handling them in accordance with the Judiciary’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, and conducting sensitisation programmes for staff at all levels. Through its sensitisation work, the Committee identified a need for further training, particularly on supporting victims and survivors without causing additional distress. It subsequently engaged the Judicial Institute for Africa (JIFA), attached to the University of Cape Town, which partnered with South Africa’s THUSA Consulting to design a training programme for relevant Judiciary personnel and support the development of a comprehensive policy informed by international standards. The consultants’ engagement with the Committee runs from 3 to 6 November 2026 and covers several areas relevant to its mandate. The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, is expected to close the training. The Judiciary’s Public Relations Officer, HW James Ereemye Jumire Mawanda, is moderating the proceedings

More than 90 Magistrates are undergoing a two-day training on the Judiciary’s Performance Enhancement Tool (PET) at the Court of Appeal Conference Hall in Kampala, as the institution expands the use of the digital system to strengthen efficiency, transparency and accountability. Addressing participants this morning, Supreme Court Justice and Chairperson of the Performance Management and Awards Committee, Justice Mike Chibita, said the training forms part of the second phase of the PET rollout within the Judiciary. He explained that the Tool links the daily responsibilities of judicial and administrative personnel to the timely and fair delivery of justice, supporting the Judiciary’s mandate to uphold the rule of law. The initial pilot, conducted in Financial Year 2025/2026, focused on Chief Magistrates and ICT staff. The rollout for FY 2026/2027 extends to all Magistrates, alongside personnel from the Policy and Planning Department, the Human Resource Department, and the Registry of Communications and Public Relations. Describing Magistrates as the Judiciary’s operational “foot soldiers,” Justice Chibita urged participants to embrace automated workflows, establish clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and use real-time reporting to improve performance management across courts and departments. He highlighted the transition from traditional public service appraisals to a 360-degree performance management model that combines interactive discussions with feedback from supervisors, peers, advocates and the public. Justice Chibita explained that the approach is intended to make assessments more objective and consistent while retaining meaningful engagement between staff and their supervisors. He emphasised that successful implementation requires active participation, adherence to established reporting lines and completion of performance planning for FY 2026/2027. These measures, he said, would support continuous improvement and a more responsive Judiciary. In her welcome remarks, the Registrar of Magistrates Affairs and Data Management, HW Pamella Lamunu Ocaya, said the expanded rollout would involve judicial personnel serving as both appraisers and appraisees within their respective reporting structures. She noted that PET is designed to improve institutional efficiency and staff productivity while addressing underperformance through clear accountability. She reminded participants that the system’s effectiveness depends on the quality of information entered and transparent tracking of performance. HW Ocaya encouraged Magistrates to approach the training as an opportunity for professional growth rather than a punitive exercise. Understanding reporting lines, participating constructively in peer and subordinate reviews, and embracing accountability would help them improve their performance and prepare for greater supervisory responsibilities. Present; HW Patricia Amoko, Private Legal Secretary to the Chief Registrar; HW Kosia Kasibayo, Deputy Registrar attached to the Chambers of the Chief Registrar; and members of the Secretariat of the Performance Management and Awards Committee

The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has urged the National Taskforce on Criminal Justice Efficiency and Prisons Decongestion to deliver practical solutions to prolonged remand and delays in criminal proceedings. Chairing the Taskforce’s inaugural meeting at the Supreme Court Conference Hall in Kampala, Lady Justice Abodo said its success must be measured by tangible improvements in the administration of justice. “We should resist the temptation to produce another report that merely restates challenges that we already know. Our work must result in tangible improvements,” she said. The Taskforce brings together the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Prisons Service to identify and address bottlenecks across the criminal justice system. Lady Justice Abodo expressed concern about accused persons spending lengthy periods on remand, sometimes without sufficient evidence to support prosecution, and cases stalled at the investigation and committal stages. She noted that prolonged pre-trial detention affects the liberty, dignity, families and livelihoods of accused persons, while emphasising the need to safeguard victims’ rights and public safety. “Our responsibility, therefore, is to find a balanced and sustainable approach that promotes both access to justice and the efficient administration of criminal justice,” she said. During the meeting, each institution presented a status brief outlining its challenges. The presentations identified shared concerns requiring coordinated action. The Taskforce approved its roadmap and established a Technical Team to collect case-file data from the respective justice institutions, engage other stakeholders and develop recommendations for the Chief Justice. The recommendations will identify immediate, short-term and medium-term actions to address the findings. The initiative follows a high-level meeting held on March 24, 2026, between the Chief Justice, Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, and the then Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, at the Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala. At that meeting, the Chief Justice proposed a joint Technical Committee, led by the Principal Judge, to review cases involving inmates on remand and develop practical interventions to ease prison congestion. The Principal Judge subsequently supported the proposal and emphasised that the review should also cover cases being handled by State Attorneys that had not progressed to committal