The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has cautioned that attacks and threats against judicial officers, particularly those handling high-profile cases, pose a serious threat to the administration of justice and must be addressed as an institutional responsibility.
“The safety, peace of mind, and wellness of judicial officers should not be treated as an individual responsibility but as an institutional obligation,” Lady Justice Abodo said on Tuesday during her maiden visit to the Criminal Division of the High Court.
Speaking to judges of the Division as part of her countrywide “listening tour,” the Principal Judge said the engagements are designed to foster “honest conversations on how courts operate and to jointly identify practical ways of improving service delivery.”
She emphasized the need for deliberate strategies to protect judicial officers and pledged her full support for strengthening judicial wellness in the workplace, noting growing concern over attacks on judges handling sensitive cases.
Lady Justice Abodo also directed that the Daily Hearing Project be carefully reviewed before nationwide rollout. “We need to clearly establish the prerequisites necessary for its effective implementation across the country,” she said, warning that poorly planned reforms risk undermining efficiency rather than enhancing it.
On case management, she urged judicial officers to take firmer control of their dockets. “Judicial officers must take charge of hearing dates, minimize adjournments, and strengthen coordination and discipline in case handling,” she said, adding that case conferencing should be promoted to allow parties to resolve uncontested issues.
An inspection of the Criminal Division’s facilities revealed serious infrastructural challenges, including insufficient office space to accommodate staff and outdated, non-functional recording systems, which continue to hamper effective court operations.
Presenting the Division’s report, Head of Division Justice David Matovu noted that assigning State Attorneys to individual judges had “significantly reduced delays” in criminal proceedings. He commended judges for handling numerous high-profile cases alongside other matters but acknowledged that a backlog persists.
Justice Matovu urged continued teamwork to clear pending cases, stating, “The strong spirit of cooperation among judicial officers has enabled the smooth running of the Division despite the heavy workload.”
Judges also raised operational challenges during the meeting, including the shortage of police process servers, limited access to court-martial files, and persistent space constraints.
Despite these hurdles, Lady Justice Abodo praised the Division’s strong performance, as reflected in the Judiciary Management Report as of January 21, 2026, and called for sustained reforms to strengthen efficiency, security, and service delivery in Uganda’s criminal justice system.
