Do more to tackle case backlog

They should instead devise more ways of how to tackle the case backlog monster that has persisted for ages and has greatly been cause for lack of public confidence in formal justice system.

The Courts of Judicature in the first quarter of this new financial year, were able to dispose of 68,000 cases, a figure which probably, in many years had not been achieved since it had surpassed their initial targets.

For example, the High Court, both at Circuit and Division levels completed 11,804 cases against their set target of 7,295 cases. The completed cases account for 14.29 percent of the cases at the High Court, which stood at 64,052 at the start of the quarter.

To that effect, the High Court surpassed its quarterly case disposal target by 43 percent. The Family Division had the highest case disposal among the Divisions, with a performance of 1,944 cases while Mukono High Court topped the circuits with 1,084 cases.

The performance report further showed that at the magisterial level, the Chief Magistrates’ Courts had 65,610 cases brought forward from the last financial year, with 39,864 cases newly registered. Likewise, the Chief Magistrates’ courts disposed of 37,795 cases representing 33.94 percent of the disposal rate exceeding its quarterly disposal target of 25,000 cases.

This meant that the Chief Magistrates’ Courts met their quarterly target performance and surpassed the same by 43 pecent.

The latest Judiciary annual performance report released in August this year, showed that the overall case backlog of all courts stood at 50,592 cases.

The report also showed that the biggest backlog was at the High Court with a total of 31,657 cases pending disposal.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, earlier this week, while inducting 16 new judges of the High Court, decried of how he needs over 2000 magistrates and over 150 judges in order to curb the case backlog in courts of law.

Therefore posting of the good performance statistics by the courts in the first quarter should not make the sector relax or pat themselves on the back.

They should instead devise more ways of how to tackle the case backlog monster that has persisted for ages and has greatly been cause for lack of public confidence in formal justice system.

The Executive arm of government should also support the Judiciary, especially in monetary terms so that more judicial officers can be hired to tackle case backlog.

We also encourage the few available judicial officers to continue working tirelessly to reduce the backlog.

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