Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Justice of the Court of Appeal and Court Administrator, has urged Research Magistrates attached to the Justices of the Court of Appeal to play a more proactive role in reducing case backlogs and enhancing judicial efficiency through technology.
The call was made on Tuesday during a meeting at the Court of Appeal in Kampala with Magistrates Grade I serving as researchers in the chambers of the Justices.
The engagement aimed to review researchers’ work and identify ways to improve service delivery.
The meeting was attended by the Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Allen Owembabazi Rukundo; Deputy Registrar in charge of the Civil Registry, Janeva Natukunda; Deputy Registrars for Appellate Mediation, Zulaika Nanteza and Jane Mugala; Research Magistrates; and Senior Systems Administrator, Dennis Rwatooro.
Justice Kiryabwire commended the researchers for their contributions, noting the Court’s recognition during the Annual Judges’ Conference.
He also highlighted the Court’s significant workload of about 14,000 matters, including approximately 1,000 cases pending for more than ten years.
He urged researchers to prioritize long-pending cases, work closely with the Justices they serve, and actively support the disposal of cases.
“The Court of Appeal is the second highest court in the country, and the way you perform reflects on the institution. You must align with the Justices you serve and actively support them to meet their targets,” he said.
Justice Kiryabwire reminded researchers that, although supportive in role, they remain judicial officers in their own right and should build professional competence by participating in court processes such as taxation, file conferencing, and other judicial work.
He also warned against breaches of confidentiality, emphasizing that researchers must uphold the highest standards of integrity when handling judicial information.
On technology, he encouraged full use of the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) to track case progress.
He also introduced the recently launched Judgment Writing Tool integrated into Microsoft Word, which offers templates, legislation, case law, and AI-assisted drafting features to improve the quality and speed of judgment writing.
Justice Kiryabwire stressed professionalism and good customer care when interacting with court users, reminding researchers that judicial standards of conduct apply to them.
“When you’re dealing with our litigants, please treat them with compassion. Don’t think that the code of conduct is only for your principal; by extension, it also applies to you because you are a judicial officer,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the researchers, Rachael Musinguzi, attached to the chambers of Lady Justice Irene Mulyagonja, thanked Justice Kiryabwire for the guidance and introduction to the Judgment Writing Tool.
She also raised concerns about slow laptops, limited library resources, opportunities for file conferencing, and access to Judiciary gym facilities.
In response, Justice Kiryabwire encouraged researchers to proactively seek opportunities to participate in judicial processes such as file conferencing.
