The Mbarara High Court on Thursday convened justice sector stakeholders and representatives from the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to identify priority justice needs under the Second Phase of the Community Justice Programme (CJPII).
The meeting brought together judicial officers and representatives from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Uganda Prisons Service, Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Law Society Legal Aid Project and the District Probation Office to discuss strategies aimed at strengthening justice delivery within the Mbarara High Court Circuit.
Deputy Registrar Grace Atwongyeire welcomed participants and thanked IDLO for selecting Mbarara as one of the model circuits for implementation of the programme.
She highlighted progress made since the Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence held in August 2025, noting improvements in the disposal of cases involving sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), juveniles and refugees.
“At the moment, we still have 514 SGBV cases pending before the High Court, with many more before the lower courts across the circuit,” Atwongyeire said, adding that the court remains committed to ensuring effective service delivery that responds to the needs of justice seekers.
She reaffirmed the court’s commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen access to justice in the region.
Allan Nshimye, Head of the Mbarara High Court Circuit, commended IDLO for its continued partnership with the Judiciary and outlined several priority areas requiring support under the programme.
These include capacity building for justice sector actors, enhanced support services for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, funding for special court sessions and further digitalisation of court processes.
Representing IDLO, Programme Manager Samson Asiimwe thanked the court leadership and justice actors for their commitment to improving access to justice.
He explained that the second phase of the Community Justice Programme, funded by the Government of Sweden, was recently launched to enhance access to justice for rural, vulnerable and marginalised communities across Uganda.
Asiimwe noted that the Mbarara and Mbale High Court Circuits had been selected as model circuits for the programme’s implementation.
The initiative focuses on strengthening institutional capacity, expanding legal aid services, promoting alternative dispute resolution, improving access to justice for women, children and refugees, enhancing coordination among justice sector actors, promoting transparency and accountability and empowering communities.
During plenary discussions, stakeholders identified several priority needs within the circuit.
These include training in case management, expanded public awareness and sensitisation programmes, funding for targeted court sessions, construction of a remand home in Mbarara, support services for victims of sexual and gender-based violence and community reintegration programmes for offenders.
The meeting concluded with a resolution to develop a detailed action plan outlining proposed interventions for consideration under the programme.
The meeting was moderated by Deputy Registrar Grace Atwongyeire.
