Kampala – The Principal Judge, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has officially flagged off the Mediation Settlement Fortnight at the High Court Land Division in Kampala, an initiative aimed at reducing case backlog through mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
- Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo (in middle) during the flagging off the mediation fortnight at High Court Land Division on Monday.
Launching the two-week exercise, Justice Abodo said the Settlement Fortnight comes at a critical time when the Land Division is grappling with a heavy caseload.
“In the third quarter, 1,067 new cases were registered, bringing the total pending caseload to 7,279 cases as of March 31, 2026. While 1,363 cases were disposed of, including 58 through mediation, the Division still carries a significant backlog of 3,294 cases, representing 45.2 percent of the total pending workload,” she said.
Justice Abodo noted that the statistics highlight the urgent need for innovative and focused interventions to improve access to justice.
“When such cases remain unresolved for long periods, they lock up land, discourage investment, and erode public confidence in the justice system,” she added.
She observed that prolonged litigation places an enormous burden on litigants, many of whom enter court expecting timely resolution but instead spend years pursuing justice, resulting in emotional exhaustion, financial strain, and fractured relationships.
“In land justice, time lost is opportunity lost for families, investors, and the nation at large. This is why we are promoting a shift from adversarial litigation to constructive problem-solving through mediation and other ADR mechanisms,” Justice Abodo emphasized.
The Mediation Settlement Fortnight will run from June 29 to July 10, 2026. During this period, the Principal Judge directed judicial officers to prioritize the oldest cases, identify matters suitable for mediation, and eliminate inactive cases from the court system.
The Judiciary expects a significant number of land disputes to be resolved through mediation during the exercise, further promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution as an effective, faster, and less adversarial means of delivering justice.
The launch was attended by Justices of the High Court Land Division and Criminal Division, Registrars, accredited mediators, and other Judiciary staff.
