Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo has inspected the Gulu High Court and Gulu Chief Magistrates’ Court as part of her ongoing nationwide familiarisation tour to assess working conditions, court operations, and overall service delivery.
Meeting judicial officers at the Chief Magistrates’ Court, Justice Abodo said her top priority is to fully understand the physical environments in which officers operate and the challenges unique to each duty station.
She emphasised that closing human resource gaps remains central to improving performance and efficiency.
“Once human resource is taken care of, the results will automatically yield,” she said, highlighting the direct link between adequate staffing and effective justice delivery.
Justice Abodo commended the Gulu High Court for its strong data management, describing it as a model for other stations.
She encouraged the team to continue strengthening their Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, noting that mediation remains essential to ensuring timely and accessible justice.
She urged judicial officers to actively promote mediation, train legal practitioners and community actors, and boost public awareness of ADR as a dependable route for resolving disputes outside lengthy court processes.
The Principal Judge was received by the Head of the Gulu High Court Circuit, Justice Phillip Odoki, who guided her through the facilities and briefed her on operational challenges and ongoing innovations to improve service delivery.
Also present were Deputy Registrar Ebong George, Chief Magistrate Alule Augustine, and several other judicial officers from within the circuit.
Justice Abodo’s familiarisation tour reflects the Judiciary’s push for responsive leadership, improved working conditions, and a more people-centred justice system.