The Judiciary has intensified its push for increased funding for the 2026/2027 financial year, citing a growing case backlog, institutional expansion and ambitious reforms aimed at improving efficiency and access to justice.
Judiciary top management led by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija on Wednesday met the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Henry Musasizi, at the Court of Appeal in Kampala to review funding requirements and budget constraints ahead of the next financial year.
Justice Zeija said although the Judiciary’s budget has grown from Shs199 billion in the 2020/2021 financial year to Shs442 billion in 2025/2026, the allocation remains insufficient to meet its constitutional mandate and operational demands.
The approved Shs442 billion budget for 2025/2026 represents about 0.61 percent of the national budget and roughly 43 percent of Parliament’s allocation, a disparity the Chief Justice said limits effective service delivery.
He referenced earlier presidential guidance that the Judiciary’s funding should progressively align with Parliament’s budget.
According to Justice Zeija, case registrations have increased by 41.58 percent over the past four financial years, rising from 317,929 in 2020/2021 to 450,134 in 2024/2025.
Citing findings from the National Court Case Census 2025, he reported significant pending cases, including 5,790 commercial disputes involving Shs5.981 trillion; 44,911 civil cases worth Shs5.451 trillion; 33,496 land matters involving Shs1.718 trillion; and 12,624 family cases valued at Shs1.47 trillion.
He warned that prolonged land and commercial disputes undermine investor confidence and slow economic growth, arguing that the Judiciary should be viewed as a catalyst for economic development rather than a consuming institution.
“A timely and efficient justice system is central to economic expansion,” he said, noting that delays directly affect productivity and investment flows.
Justice Zeija outlined a broad reform programme aimed at transforming the Judiciary into a more accessible, efficient, accountable and technology-driven institution.
In the short to medium term, priorities include operationalising all High Court circuits, decentralising the Court of Appeal to eight regions, strengthening case management systems, expanding Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms in line with the national ADR policy and enhancing digital systems through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System.
Other measures include introducing AI-assisted transcription, expanding virtual hearings, establishing a delivery unit and real-time situational room, prioritising election petitions and high-value cases, improving judicial welfare and enforcing a zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
In the long term, the Judiciary plans to transition to a fully paperless system, establish permanent regional appellate infrastructure, set up an African ADR centre, expand judicial staffing and adopt data-driven performance management.
“All these interventions are aimed at ensuring certainty of hearing dates, efficiency and a culture of service across the Judiciary,” the Chief Justice said.
Over the past two financial years, eight Justices of Appeal, 21 High Court judges and 82 lower bench judicial officers have been appointed.
High Court circuits have increased from 24 to 29, with further decentralisation of the appellate court structure planned.
However, Justice Zeija noted that institutional growth and the rising caseload have not been matched with corresponding operational funding, underscoring the need for enhanced budgetary support in the upcoming financial year.
