In a bid to reduce the growing backlog of cases in the judicial system, the Judiciary has announced an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week, set to take place from August 5th to August 9th, 2024.

While addressing the media at the Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala on July 26, 2024, Court of Appeal Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire highlighted the importance of the ADR Week in resolving pending cases and reducing the backlog in the Judiciary system.

“The ADR Week is a new initiative aimed at making the justice system more people-centred and efficient, and we want to resolve disputes quickly and efficiently, reducing the time and resources spent on litigation,” Kiryabwire stated.

He said that participation in the ADR Week is voluntary, and it aims to resolve pending cases through mediation and negotiation, promoting a more efficient and people-centered justice system.

Kiryabwire highlighted that even if mediation fails, there are resources available to help parties negotiate and settle disputes, emphasizing that this approach is not new but rather a scaled-up version of traditional practices in Africa, now being implemented at a national level.

He also drew attention to other ADR mechanisms, such as Plea Bargaining, which have proven effective in reducing the time individuals spend on remand and improving the efficiency of the criminal justice system.

HW Rosemary Bareebe, representing the Chief Registrar, outlined the roadmap for the upcoming ADR Week, noting that registrars in the participating courts are currently identifying cases for the ADR Week and allocating them to judicial officers and accredited mediators for handling.

She noted that, as part of the preparations, the ADR Committee will, before the commencement of ADR Week, assess the readiness of the participating courts, adding that a meeting will be held by the Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) with Justices, Judges, Registrars, and Court-accredited mediators to ensure the process is synchronized and harmonized.

The event will be moderated by HW James Ereemye Jumire Mawanda, the Judiciary Public Relations Officer, and the participating courts include the Court of Appeal or Constitutional Court, Land, Commercial, Civil, and Family Divisions, Mukono High Court Circuit, as well as Mengo and Makindye Chief Magistrates Courts.