Over 100 key stakeholders from Uganda’s justice sector and regional partners have convened at Speke Resort Munyonyo for the second National Alternative Dispute Resolution and Alternative Justice Systems (ADR/AJS) Summit, aimed at strengthening timely and inclusive access to justice.
Organised by the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) in collaboration with the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), the two-day Summit is being held under the theme: “Structuring AJS to Achieve Timely People-Centred Justice in Land and Commercial Matters.”
The Acting Principal Judge, Lady Justice Okuo Jane Kajuga, chaired the opening session, with Justice Andrew Khaukha Executive Director of JTI presenting the Judiciary’s AJS Strategy.
Launched in mid-2023, the strategy aims to harmonise formal and informal justice systems and streamline dispute resolution in Uganda.
Justice Khaukha stressed the importance of leveraging traditional mechanisms alongside formal processes to reduce case backlogs and offer more accessible avenues for justice.
“This Summit offers an important opportunity to operationalise the AJS Strategy and prepare for its national rollout,” said Justice Khaukha.
“Integrating community-based approaches into our justice system is essential for inclusivity and efficiency, particularly in land and commercial disputes.”
A major highlight of the Summit will be a keynote address by Justice Prof. Joel Ngugi of Kenya’s Court of Appeal, who also chairs the country’s AJS Steering Committee.
His presentation, titled “AJS: A Mechanism of Accelerating People-Centred Justice – The Kenya Experience,” will showcase cross-border lessons and successes from Kenya’s implementation of AJS frameworks.
The Summit is expected to shape the upcoming AJS pilot programme in Uganda, which will initially target land and commercial cases in selected regions, including Buganda, Acholi, Bugisu, Karamoja, Tooro, and Alur.
The pilot will be monitored by the Judiciary’s ADR Adhoc Committee, chaired by the Deputy Chief Justice, and will be guided by Practice Directions issued by the Chief Justice under Article 133 of the Constitution.
Among the attendees are Judges, Magistrates, Registrars, legal professionals, non-legal ADR practitioners, and government officials from relevant ministries and departments.
The Chief Justice of Uganda, Hon. Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny - Dollo, is expected to officially open the Summit later today, reinforcing the Judiciary’s commitment to accessible and people-centred justice.
Following the Summit, the Judiciary will embark on identifying suitable case files for AJS resolution and will launch a nationwide sensitisation campaign to encourage litigants, especially those with longstanding disputes, to opt into the new framework.
The initiative is designed to function under judicial oversight, ensuring both fairness and adherence to legal standards.
Building on the momentum from the inaugural ADR/AJS Summit in June 2023 and the Africa Chief Justices’ ADR Summit held in March 2024, this year’s event marks a significant step in Uganda’s ongoing journey toward holistic justice reform and community-rooted dispute resolution.