The recent sit-down strike by lawyers in the Greater Masaka sub-region has thrown into sharp relief a deepening crisis in Uganda’s justice system.
On June 12, 2025, members of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) in Masaka resolved to lay down their tools in protest against the persistent shortage of judicial officers and the alarming backlog of cases at the Masaka High court circuit.
The protest, effective from June 16, 2025, has sparked nationwide debate about access to justice, judicial staffing, and systemic reform in Uganda’s judiciary. The Masaka High court circuit serves an expansive region comprising nine areas: Masaka city, Masaka district, Kalungu, Kalangala, Bukomansimbi, Lyantonde, Sembabule, Kyotera and Rakai.
Despite this vast jurisdiction, the region has four Chief magistrates and over twenty (20) Grade One magistrates, from which appeals are currently handled by only one (1) Resident Judge. For the past year, the High court circuit has operated with only one judge and one Deputy Registrar, an inadequate team given the heavy backlog, despite their commendable and dedicated efforts.
This severe understaffing has crippled the court’s ability to dispense justice, leaving over 4,290 cases pending as of April 2025; 1,188 land cases, 1,141 civil cases, 455 family matters and 1,506 criminal matters. Lawyers have decried significant frustrations, including delays in case hearings, arbitrary adjournments, and lack of meaningful engagement with court administration to address systemic inefficiencies.
Their demands are simple yet urgent: the immediate deployment of additional judges and registrars to the circuit, and institutional commitment to address the case backlog. The root causes of the strike go beyond Masaka.
Across Uganda, judicial circuits are chronically understaffed. According to the judiciary annual report for FY2023/24, the case backlog accounted for 26.32% of 159,733 cases, with 42,588 classified as backlog due to high caseloads vis-à-vis the limited number of judges and the restricted jurisdiction of Magistrate’s courts.
This crisis has been exacerbated by the creation of new High court circuits without corresponding investments in human resources. While the expansion aims to bring justice closer to the people, it has been implemented without adequate strategic foresight, compromising efficiency.
Equally troubling is the current practice of appointing newly confirmed judges to head High court circuits without the mentorship and oversight that once characterised Uganda’s judicial administration. In the past, new judges were inducted under the guidance of seasoned judicial officers before heading circuits.
Today, many are thrust into leadership roles without adequate experience or institutional support, compounding inefficiencies and entrenching delays.
IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE
The human cost of this dysfunction is staggering. The judiciary’s 2023/24 Annual Report indicates that courts completed 239,431 cases out of a total caseload of 401,269. The caseload comprised 143,205 cases carried forward from FY2022/23 and 258,064 newly registered cases in FY2023/24.
Courts closed the year with a pending caseload of 161,838, including 42,588 backlog cases, which accounted for 26.32% of the total caseload. Backlog reduction was minimal, declining by just 0.87% (372 cases) from FY2022/23. In Masaka and other regions, the ratio of judicial officers to the population is abysmally low compared to similarly populated regions, leading to delays in judgments, prolonged remand periods, and case fatigue.
This delay violates citizens’ constitutional rights to a fair and speedy trial under Article 28. For example, during a stakeholder engagement at Maluku Government prisons on 26 April 2025, organised by the Eastern Bar of the Uganda Law Society, it was found that over 20 inmates had not been committed for trial in over 3–4 years, and over 166 individuals had been on remand for 5–11 years awaiting trial.
These violations reflect a nationwide collapse in access to justice for both accused persons and victims.
A SYSTEMIC PARADOX
All of this stands in stark contrast to the judiciary’s 2023–2024 theme: “A People- Centred Approach to Justice.”
In practice, however, citizens are being left behind to languish in legal limbo, unable to access remedies, resolve disputes, or exercise their rights. The lack of judicial personnel undermines public trust in the legal system and erodes the rule of law. Yet, amid these challenges, the judiciary has undertaken significant efforts to address the persisting issues.
It has made efforts to address capacity gaps through key institutional reforms. Notably, the Judicature (Amendment) Act, 2024 increased the number of Justices of Appeal from 15 to 35, while parliament resolved to expand the number of High court judges from 82 to 151.
The Judicature (Designation of High Court Circuits) Instrument, 2023 increased the number of High court circuits from 20 to 38, and the Magistrates Courts Instrument, 2024 expanded magisterial areas from 82 to 157 and courts from 396 to 696. Furthermore, notable judicial appointments were made, including two new Supreme court justices and three justices to the Court of Appeal.
The judiciary has as well operationalised new High court circuits, Entebbe, Kumi, Lugazi, Patongo, and Wakiso, bringing the total number to 29. This move is aimed at bringing services closer to the people, easing pressure on existing courts, and enhancing efficiency.
In addition, Entebbe and Wakiso were equipped with ECCMIS that enables e-filing, digital case tracking, and virtual hearings, advancements that promise to streamline judicial processes and improve service delivery. Deliberations have been held to expand the jurisdiction of magistrates to adjudicate more cases.
In 2021, the judiciary constituted a Sub-Committee to study proposals for enhancing magistrates’ jurisdiction. A statistical analysis was conducted to determine the impact on case distribution. In June 2023, a proposal was submitted to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of Chief Magistrates to Shs 200 million and Magistrates Grade I to Shs 100 million.
The proposal awaits action from the Attorney General but remains unimplemented, further delaying justice reform. The judiciary Annual Report also notes that Chief Magistrate’s courts had the highest clearance rate at 97.56%, with an overall clearance rate of 92.78%.
This suggests that increasing the jurisdiction of Magistrate’s courts could significantly relieve pressure on High courts, especially since Magistrates are more widely available across the country.
THEIR DEMANDS AND WAY FORWARD
The Masaka lawyers have indicated that, despite their efforts to seek alternative remedies, they continue to face persistent frustrations, including prolonged delays in hearings, adjournments without adequate justification, and a lack of meaningful engagement from the court administration.
They note that these challenges have compelled them to take collective action to draw attention to the urgent need for increased judicial resources and support. They further state that the strike will continue until their demands are met and concrete measures are taken to address the backlog in the Masaka High court circuit.
BROADER REFORMS NEEDED
While Masaka is the epicentre, the issue is nationwide. The following reforms are necessary to address the Masaka crisis and prevent similar failures elsewhere: Judges should be deployed based on population density and caseload.
According to the judiciary Annual Report 2023–2024, a total of 239,431 cases were completed out of a caseload of 401,269. The highest number of cases registered and completed were recorded at the Chief Magistrate’s courts, a development partly attributed to increased staffing at that level.
This underscores how an increase in the number of High court judges could have a similarly profound impact.
EXPANSION OF MAGISTRATES’ JURISDICTION
Increasing magistrates’ jurisdiction is essential to reduce the burden on High court judges. With many civil cases currently within High court dockets, shifting them to Magistrate’s courts could significantly reduce delays.
According to the judiciary annual report 2023–2024, case backlog in FY2023/24 accounted for 26.32% of the 159,733 cases, with 42,588 cases classified as backlog. This was largely due to high caseloads in relation to the limited number of judges and the restricted jurisdiction of the Magistrates’ courts.
This highlights how the limited jurisdiction of magistrates has exacerbated the case backlog in the justice system. Efforts should be made to hasten the implementation of this reform. Deliberations to this effect have already begun within legal reform circles and should be fast-tracked.
MENTORSHIP FOR NEWLY APPOINTED JUDGES
New judges should undergo a mentorship period under senior judges before being appointed to lead circuits. This ensures proper training, consistency in jurisprudence and smoother court administration.
National Judicial Staffing Framework: A workforce planning framework developed with the ministry of Justice, Judicial Service Commission, and UBOS is essential to balance staffing across regions based on workload and demographics. The fact that Greater Masaka is served by just one High court judge is untenable.
STRENGTHENING ECCMIS
The Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) should be aggressively scaled up to track filings, reduce administrative adjournments, and ensure transparency in case scheduling. ECCMIS was rolled out in most High court circuits and selected Magistrate’s courts to digitise case filing, tracking, and adjudication.
The system is expected to reduce loss of files, administrative delays, and adjournments, thereby directly contributing to backlog reduction. Special court sessions should be increased to target long-standing cases, particularly those that have stagnated for years.
These sessions have proven effective in supplementing regular court work. Over the past four years, the judiciary, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other development partners, implemented a programme focused on disposing of Gender- Based Violence (GBV)-related cases in various districts.
Through this initiative, courts disposed of 595 out of 600 cause-listed cases, achieving a 99.17% clearance rate. The few cases not concluded during the sessions were adjourned or deferred to subsequent sittings for various reasons, further contributing to the reduction of backlog.
Strengthening mediation and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as plea bargaining, mediation, and the Small Claims Procedure (SCP) is essential, as these approaches reduce the need for full trials and expedite case resolution. To enhance judicial efficiency and access to justice, such mechanisms should be mainstreamed across all courts.
According to the judiciary Annual Report, the SCP has been rolled out to 203 courts nationwide, with its expansion and rising number of registered cases reflecting a largely user-friendly and demand-driven initiative. A total of 23,567 cases were completed under SCP, recovering claims worth Shs 17,993,850,733.
Furthermore, the judiciary continued to promote mediation as a means of easing the caseload in the justice system, successfully mediating 513 cases out of a total of 1,274. Monitoring remand duration and prisoner rights coordination with Uganda Prisons Service and UHRC must be enhanced to ensure no individual remains on remand beyond constitutional limits.
Maluku prison’s example underscores the urgency of this reform. Judiciary Performance Audit System: Courts should be subject to regular audits to assess productivity, identify administrative bottlenecks, and promote best practices. Institutionalise Plea Bargain Programmes: Plea bargain camps have played a vital role in expediting the administration of criminal justice.
According to the judiciary Annual Report, plea bargaining was conducted through regular court hearings, dedicated camps and special sessions. As a result, the number of cases disposed of through this initiative increased by 22%, from 5,246 in FY2022/23 to 6,408 in FY2023/24.
This demonstrates the initiative’s effectiveness and indicates that its frequency and reach should be expanded in order to further reduce case backlog and enhance access to timely justice.
Strengthen Monitoring and Oversight Mechanisms: Institutional oversight should be enhanced through more frequent judicial inspections, performance reviews, and administrative audits. This ensures accountability, improves productivity, and helps in identifying regional disparities that need attention.
INCREASE JUDICIARY BUDGET TO SUPPORT REFORMS
Parliament should significantly increase the judiciary’s budget to enable the recruitment of more judicial officers, scale up digital systems like ECCMIS, and support broader reform implementation. This funding is essential to equip the judiciary with the tools and personnel required to improve access to justice.
CONCLUSION
The Greater Masaka strike is not just about one region, it is a cautionary tale of the fragility of Uganda’s justice infrastructure. Without prompt, systemic, and sustained reform, the promise of “people-centred justice” will remain a hollow slogan.
Justice buried under files and forgotten is not justice at all, it is institutionalised injustice. It is time to listen, and more importantly, to act.
The author is an advocate and member, ULS