A preliminary report on file census indicates that the case backlog in the judiciary stands now stands at over 114,000.
The findings released by Chief Justice Bart Katureebe this morning are from a national file census that was conducted in December last year in all courts of Judicature to establish the actual number of pending cases for the purposes of proper planning.
While officially opening the New Law Year at Kampala High Court premises, Justice Katureebe said with this information, the can now review the case backlog reduction programme focusing more on stemming the growth of case backlog as well as clearing the existing old cases.
The preliminary file census report shows that the Supreme Court has 97 pending cases, Court of Appeal; 5,800, High Court; 35,500 while the lower courts have 68,000.
The New Law Year is when the Judiciary officially opens to the general public and also draws a plan of what it intends to do in the new law year and reveals the same to the public.
To that effect, Katureebe outlined several plans to hundreds of lawyers and judges who had converged at High Court grounds that the Judiciary he heads intends to do in this new law year.
According to the new set targets for the judicial officers this new law year(2016), each Supreme Court justice is expected to hear 80 cases, Court of Appeal/Constitutional Court justice; 600 cases, High Court judge; 300 cases, Registrars; 400, Chief Magistrate 600 cases, New Grade One Magistrate; 300 cases, Magistrate Grade Two 300 cases.
Other resolutions that the Judiciary intends to do in this new law year are; establish more High Court circuits at Mukono, Iganga, Mpigi, Rukungiri and Mubende in order to bring services near the people.
Justice Katureebe as well proposed that the High Court circuit at Nakawa that serves several central Buganda Districts will be restructured and if need be, merged into existing Divisions of the High Court.
Story By Ruth Anderah
