The newly sworn-in Ugandan Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, made one of her crucial stops at Sembabule Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 17th November 2025, during her monitoring visit to assess how the Judiciary Time-Share Fast-Track Mechanism to settle GBV matters is being implemented.
This project falls under UN Women’s initiative called ‘Justice for Her’ which seeks to accelerate justice for women who experience violence. This visit reflects continued commitments to address GBV issues with innovative approaches to case management, led by Abodo, who has been appointed merely days after being appointed as Uganda’s first female Principal Judge.
The justice authorities and stakeholders received Principal Judge Abodo at Sembabule. Among those present to receive Abodo included Lady Justice Katamba Victoria Nakintu Nkwanga (Head of Masaka High Court Circuit), Lady Justice Fatuma Nanziri Bwanika (Resident Judge Masaka), HW Katushabe Prossy (Registrar, High Court), HW John Paul Edoku (Registrar, Planning, Research and Development), HW Karungi Loe (Deputy Registrar, Masaka), and HW Ninsiima Marion (Chief Magistrate, Sembabule) among others.
The important partnering organizations that attended included representation from UN Women, Austrian Development Cooperation, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service, and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Notable attendees included Mrs. Beate Farukoye, Deputy Head Austrian Development Cooperation, and Mrs. Beatrice Mulindwa, Project Manager, Justice for Her, at UN Women.
The Abodo inspection began with an assessment of a Guard of Honour from the Uganda Police Force, after which Abodo embarked on a guided visit around the court buildings’ facilities. DPP Abodo applauded their organized filing system, claiming that “such orderliness would greatly support the transition to digital systems.”
However, one challenge that she identified is the lack of State Attorneys, which could delay proceedings. On agenda is conducting a spot-check on selected GBV cases and meeting with members of the District Chain-Linked Committee (DCC) members. The Chief Magistrate at Sembabule will provide an update on project milestones such as training court clerks on GBV prior to conducting a case census, and lessons learned about data quality and use from the case census.
Later this afternoon, Abodo is off to Masaka High Court, and Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court for a community baraza on access to legal aid, as well as engaging with community members on justice barriers. The Masaka Circuit Head will summarize project activities such as clerk training sessions and results of census.
The Justice for Her Project is a UN Women-Judiciary partnership that improves access to substantive justice for women and girls affected by violence. The project addresses systematic barriers by prioritizing GBV cases, improving pre-trial preparatory work, trial technology, supporter training, and staff care.
HW Edoku observed that initial trainings have been implemented, with GBV case censuses concluded last week at Masaka High Court, Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court, and Kalangala Chief Magistrate’s Court. This is a game-changer in the fight against GBV in Uganda, bringing together Ugandan-led initiatives with global support to make a difference.
