By KT Reporter
The Judiciary is promoting the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in in Lango region. It is part of the efforts to reduce the case backlog in the courts.
Her Worship Zulaika Nanteza, Acting Registrar in charge of the ADR Registry, explained that alternative dispute resolution is meant to help the judiciary deal with and resolve disputes faster, quickly, and cheaply.
Adding that an Alternative Dispute Resolution aspect, like a plea bargain, is similar to Matoput in the Lango and Acholi cultures in Northern Uganda. , where both the accused and complainant come together and negotiate.
Plea bargaining was introduced in Uganda in 2014. It has since been particularly successful in expediting justice, reducing trial costs, and decongesting prisons.
Nanteza emphasized that “sometimes people come to court when they actually don’t know what they want. Other times, they come when they know what they want, but because we take so long to resolve their disputes, we sometimes give them judgments that they feel are not worth it.”
“You continue bargaining until you reach an understanding. So that gives an accused person an opportunity to participate in his decision making, but also now the victims or the complainants, because we bring them on board and we hear their voices, we feel like it is giving justice to both the accused person and to the victim.”
There are 227 inmates in cases ranging from aggravated robbery, defilement, and trafficking in persons, to murder and rape have enrolled for a plea bargain from Lira Main Prison.
Of these, more than 100 inmates have already successfully negotiated their sentences, pending judicial confirmation in the three-day camp ending on Friday.
Nanteza further explained that just like the normal court procedure, beneficiaries of ADR have the opportunity to appeal the outcome. Adding that despite the benefits, the accused persons also have the right to choose the normal court process instead of participating in an ADR.
She was also quick to note that a plea bargain only applies to a single case file in circumstances where an accused person has different files in court.
Lady Justice Margret Apiny, the head of the Lira High Court Circuit, implored the accused persons to embrace ADR to attain justice faster. “In the wake of competing interests, we have the financial, we have the human resource, all those are competing interests, so we believe this is the best way that we can combine both to have us do so much and for the benefit of all of you.” She said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Santos Lino Wanok of Lira Diocese, who leads the clergy, urged inmates to embrace true repentance post-plea bargain.
He also appealed to the judges to execute justice with mercy.
In June this year, I flagged off the first plea bargain session in 2025, where over 200 cases were handled. Currently, Lira Main prison, which was constructed in 1943 for an average lock-up number of 400 prisoners, is housing over 1000 inmates, including those awaiting trial.
Alternative Dispute Resolution has been championed by the leadership in the Judiciary since Justice Bert Katureebe was the Chief Justice of Uganda. His successor, Owiny-Dollo, further elevated it with the now-retired Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Butera.
The Deputy Chief Justice, Dr. Flavian Zeija, formerly the Principal Judge, has championed it in and outside Uganda. Justice Owiny-Dollo has indicated that he will use most of his time in retirement to promote Alternative Dispute Resolution in his home area.
The Justice Needs and Satisfaction Report 2024 in Uganda revealed that only 10% of the population in Uganda seeks justice through formal courts, an increase from 4%in 2020, but still a very low figure.
It reveals that those who go to formal courts face delays due to complex legal processes, contributing to case backlogs and prolonged pre-trial detentions, which erode public confidence in the judicial system
-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
