Judiciary embraces ADR: 200 cases resolved in settlement week, using ADR, Deputy Chief Justice Buteera announces.

The Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera has declared the judiciary's firm commitment to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms into the court system as a core component of case management.

Justice Buteera emphasized the transformative potential of ADR tools such as mediation, reconciliation, and arbitration especially in family cases in addressing the mounting backlog of cases.

This was highlighted during a two day family justice summit at the judiciary headquarters in Kampala.

The recently concluded case settlement week, which saw a remarkable achievement in the judiciary's efforts to expedite justice. Over 200 cases were resolved, including 27 within the family court.

Justice Buteera attributed this success to the effective use of Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) which not only expedited case resolution but also reduced the strain on conventional court proceedings.

"The alternative dispute resolution process is faster and cheaper with no appeals invoked and hence forth reducing case backlog," Buteera said.

Development partners among them the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Switzerland embassy say alternative dispute resolution will mitigate child neglect, distribution of matrimonial property and incest cases among others. These pledged support towards achieving a seemless and fair way of settling cases.

Most family cases can not be amicably solved through the adversarial nature of the court systems which are centred at the winner taking it all. This hence breeds anger and criminality within families which inturn increases the number of cases for litigation.

Martin Asingwire, the vice president of Uganda Law Society, embraced the mechanism citing mediation as a way of bringing about quicker and cheaper resolutions and more satisfactory outcomes for the parties involved as opposed to the traditional courtroom.

Justice Buteera added that the judiciary would continue to promote these mechanisms to enhance access to justice for all, particularly in cases involving sensitive matters such as family disputes.

"We need to quickly dispose of family disputes especially those involving children which must be handled confidentially to help family members from the effects of conflicts," Buteera said.

The full implementation of ADR is expected to play a crucial role in the judiciary's broader strategy to improve case management and ensure timely delivery of justice.

Judiciary has now trained over 80 trained mediators to handle family disputes.

Buteera further emphasised the need for quick disposal of family desoutes especially those involving children which must be handled confidentially to help family members from the effects of conflicts.

This shift towards ADR reflects a growing recognition within Uganda's justice system of the need for innovative approaches to dispute resolution.