The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has commended judicial officers at Nwoya Chief Magistrate’s Court for their commitment to handling Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases, following a monitoring mission conducted in partnership with UN Women.
The visit, held on Friday, focused on assessing the progress of daily SGBV hearings under the ongoing Justice for Her programme.
Lady Justice Abodo praised officers serving in remote areas, noting their dedication despite challenging working conditions. She emphasized the importance of engaging directly with judicial officers in northern Uganda to better understand operational realities on the ground.
“The purpose of this visit is to assess the effectiveness of the Justice for Her SGBV programme, identify implementation gaps, and agree on practical solutions to improve service delivery,” she said.
Lady Justice Abodo stressed that the Judiciary cannot function in isolation, highlighting the essential role of justice sector stakeholders such as the Police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and political leadership. She further called for stronger coordination among these actors and underscored the importance of accurate data collection to inform policy and decision-making.
Lady Justice Abodo also urged judicial officers to adopt a survivor-centred approach in handling SGBV cases, increase community sensitisation efforts, and deepen engagement with development partners. She emphasized the need to involve men in prevention efforts and encouraged judicial officers to consider community perceptions of justice in their work.
The Deputy Country Representative of UN Women, Adekemi Ndieli, described SGBV as a complex issue rooted in power imbalances, with both economic and psychological dimensions.
She commended the Judiciary and other stakeholders for maintaining progress despite earlier funding delays and reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to supporting all actors within the justice system. She noted that SGBV prevalence in Uganda remains high, estimated at about 65 percent.
Representing the Acting Chief Registrar, Jude Muwone Okumu praised the unity and teamwork demonstrated by judicial officers in Nwoya and conveyed a call for the reduction and expeditious handling of SGBV cases to strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
The Nwoya Chief Magistrate, Innocent David Omara, reported significant progress under the programme, revealing that 20 SGBV cases had been disposed of in Nwoya and nearly 20 in Amuru within one and a half months. However, he noted that approximately 50 cases remain pending in each district, and called for increased community sensitisation on SGBV and the justice process.
Remarks delivered on behalf of the District Police Commander highlighted improved conviction rates, attributing the progress to strengthened coordination between the Judiciary, Police, and the Uganda Prisons Service.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including the Resident District Commissioner, judicial officers from Nwoya, Atiak, and Amuru courts, representatives of the Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service, Uganda Law Society, probation and community service officers, and officials from UN Women.