Dr Mukiibi warns legal profession should be ready for ICT-driven justice

What the report says

Dr Paul Mukiibi, a Ugandan legal researcher and head of law reporting, research and law reform at the Law Development Centre, has urged the legal profession to prepare more seriously for technology-driven justice delivery. The Observer reported that he received a Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Western Cape in South Africa on October 9, the same day Uganda marked Independence Day, for doctoral research on ICT-based adjudication in civil proceedings in Uganda.

His study examined whether electronic court processes protect the right to a fair hearing, especially as courts expanded digital procedures during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Mukiibi said the presence of online platforms does not by itself mean lawyers, judges and court staff are ready to use them effectively. He argued that reliable systems, proper notice, effective participation and remedies for technical failures are essential if digital tools are to improve justice rather than weaken it.

The report says his comments come as Uganda’s judiciary continues rolling out electronic filing, virtual hearings and the ECCMIS case-management system under the 2025 rules on electronic filing, service and virtual proceedings. Mukiibi pointed to challenges such as persistent reliance on paper, poor connectivity, limited equipment, uneven training and obstacles for unrepresented litigants and people with disabilities.

He also said legal training should include more exposure to ICT-based adjudication, digital evidence and emerging technology subjects, while noting that courts should adapt lessons from countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Nigeria to local conditions. His broader point, as presented by The Observer, is that digitization may improve access and efficiency, but only if court procedures, infrastructure and skills keep pace.