Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo has urged judicial officers to strengthen case management and ensure justice is delivered in a timely manner as the Commercial Court registered strong performance in the first half of the financial year.
Lady Justice Abodo made the call on Thursday afternoon during her maiden visit to the Commercial Court, where she met judges and administrators of the Division.
She congratulated the court on marking 30 years of existence, describing the milestone as worthy of celebration due to its achievements in resolving commercial disputes and supporting Uganda's economic development.
"The Commercial Court's 30 years of existence is worthy of celebration given its achievements in the timely resolution of commercial disputes which promote investor confidence and support economic growth," she said.
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She also commended the Division for spearheading and hosting the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Registries, which she described as key pillars in reducing case backlog across the country.
Presenting the second-quarter performance report, the Head of the Commercial Court, Lady Justice Anna Mugenyi, said the Division continues to post positive results, with completed cases exceeding newly filed ones.
"A total of 1,938 cases were disposed of in the Second Quarter compared to 1,407 disposed of during Quarter One of this financial year," she said.
Justice Mugenyi noted that the two quarters account for a total of 3,345 disposed cases, representing 63 percent of the court's annual target.
"These figures show that the Division is on the right track in achieving its annual performance," she added, while commending judicial officers for managing their dockets despite numerous operational challenges.
In her response, the Principal Judge appealed to judicial officers to prioritise timely delivery of justice.
"I appeal to you to deliver justice to the public in a timely manner and to be judges who deliver justice and not merely adjudicating judges," Lady Justice Abodo said.
She called for shared responsibility in case management, urging judicial officers to firmly control timelines, minimise adjournments, and take charge of hearing schedules.
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Lady Justice Abodo also emphasised the importance of judicial wellness, encouraging judges to participate in the Division's Thursday Lunch Meetings, which she said provide an opportunity to interact, unwind, and support one another's mental and emotional well-being.
She assured the Commercial Court of her full support and reaffirmed her willingness to engage judicial officers on administrative and operational challenges affecting their work.
The Principal Judge further commended the continued use of mediation, noting that with limited judicial officers, ADR and mediation remain essential in resolving the high volume of cases before the courts.
After the meeting, Lady Justice Abodo inspected the court's archives, courtrooms, registries, and chambers. Several judges and registrars from the Commercial Court and ADR registries attended the engagement.
