The Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, together with members of the Judiciary’s Top Management, on Tuesday held a high-level engagement with the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, and senior officials from the Attorney General’s Chambers, in a move aimed at strengthening collaboration across the justice sector.
The meeting, held at the Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala, focused on addressing operational challenges, enhancing coordination, and improving service delivery among key justice institutions.
Justice Zeija emphasized the need for a holistic approach to strengthening the justice system, warning against building capacity in one institution without supporting others.
“We must avoid strengthening one arm of the justice system while leaving others behind. A coordinated approach is essential for effective service delivery,” he said, highlighting staffing challenges faced by the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
On digital transformation, Justice Zeija directed a technical team from the Judiciary’s IT Department to work with the Attorney General’s Chambers to review existing systems and explore integration with the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) to improve efficiency and coordination.
Addressing prison congestion, he noted that delays in committing suspects to trial remain a major contributing factor.
He proposed establishing a technical committee, led by the Principal Judge, to review cases of inmates on remand and develop practical interventions to ease congestion.
Justice Zeija also raised concerns about the relationship between the Bar and the Bench, reiterating that membership in the Uganda Law Society is voluntary and should not be imposed.
On the execution of court decisions, he expressed concern over continued non-compliance despite existing circulars, warning that further administrative measures would be taken to ensure adherence.
He commended the Attorney General for building a strong and effective team and called for regular engagements to sustain collaboration between the two institutions.
The Attorney General thanked the Judiciary for its continued support, noting that his Chambers is settling into new premises in Naguru, and expressed optimism that justice sector institutions could eventually be co-located to enhance coordination.
He congratulated the Chief Justice and Principal Judge Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo on their recent appointments and described the meeting as timely and important for strengthening institutional linkages.
Kiwanuka highlighted challenges affecting his chambers, including staffing constraints and delays in receiving court notices due to system inefficiencies.
welcomed proposals to integrate and centralize systems such as ECCMIS and supported establishing a joint technical team to review and improve existing platforms.
On prison decongestion, he endorsed the Judiciary-led technical committee to review cases of inmates on remand and develop sustainable solutions.
He also raised concerns about discipline within the legal profession and the need to distinguish clearly between institutional offices and individual office holders.
Regarding execution of court decisions, the Attorney General called for harmonization, citing instances where lower courts have not aligned with Constitutional Court rulings, and proposed issuing a fresh administrative directive to address inconsistencies.
The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, welcomed the engagement and supported establishing the technical review committee, emphasizing the need to examine cases handled by State Attorneys that have not progressed to committal, and indicated that a circular would be issued to guide execution processes.