The Judiciary is considering extending court-annexed mediation to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court as part of efforts to reduce growing case backlogs and speed up the disposal of appeals.
If adopted, the move would mark a significant expansion of Uganda’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system, which has so far been applied mainly in the Magistrates’ Courts and the High Court, where parties are encouraged to resolve disputes amicably before proceeding to full trial.
Justice Prof. Andrew Khaukha, Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), said the proposal is among the issues being discussed during the ongoing joint retreat of Justices of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in Kalangala District.
He said the Judiciary is exploring whether certain appeals can also be resolved through mediation, particularly where parties are willing to negotiate a settlement, instead of waiting years for a final court judgment.
According to Justice Khaukha, the Court of Appeal currently has more than 5,000 pending cases, while the Supreme Court has at least 1,000 appeals awaiting determination.
He said reducing these backlogs requires exploring alternative approaches alongside conventional court hearings.
Mediation forms part of the Judiciary’s broader Alternative Justice System (AJS), launched in 2023 to reduce case backlogs, lower litigation costs and promote faster resolution of disputes.
Justice Khaukha said the Judiciary has registered encouraging results from mediation in the lower courts and is now assessing whether similar approaches can improve efficiency at the appellate level.
Beyond case management, he said the retreat is also providing appellate judges with an opportunity to discuss judicial performance, teamwork, collegiality and the implementation of the Judiciary’s new Strategic Plan.
The justices are also expected to develop policy proposals for submission to Parliament aimed at improving the efficiency of Uganda’s justice system.
If approved, mediation at the appellate level could represent one of the Judiciary’s most significant procedural reforms in recent years, offering litigants an alternative route to resolving disputes while easing pressure on Uganda’s highest courts-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
