The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Nobert Mao, has tabled the Magistrates Amendment Bill 2026 before Parliament, seeking to increase the monetary value of cases handled by Magistrates Courts.
The bill aims to alleviate the High Court's heavy caseload by raising jurisdictional limits to reflect current property values and economic realities.
"The bill proposes to increase the jurisdiction of Magistrates courts, empowering them to handle more cases and reduce the burden on the High Court," Mao said during the tabling of the bill.
The Speaker, Anita Among, has referred the bill to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for processing, with directives to present the report to the House next week.
Key proposals in the bill include:
- Increasing civil jurisdiction of Chief Magistrates from Shs50m to Shs100m and Magistrates from Shs20m to Shs50m
- Abolishing Magistrate Grade II positions
- Empowering Chief Magistrates to transfer cases to courts of competent jurisdiction
- Amending provisions to substitute "Magistrate Grade I" with "Magistrate"
According to Minister Nobert Mao, the bill's passage is expected to enhance justice efficiency and accessibility
