Principal Judge Pushes for Action on Prolonged Criminal Remand

What the report says

Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, Uganda’s Principal Judge, has urged justice sector bodies to move beyond identifying problems and instead produce practical steps to cut delays in criminal trials and reduce prison congestion. She made the appeal while chairing the inaugural meeting of the National Taskforce on Criminal Justice Efficiency and Prisons Decongestion at the Supreme Court Conference Hall in Kampala.

According to Nile Post, Abodo said the taskforce should focus on the causes of prolonged pre-trial detention, including stalled investigations, slow committal processes and cases where suspects remain on remand for long periods. She warned that another report without concrete solutions would not improve the administration of justice. She also stressed that any reforms must protect victims’ rights and public safety while improving access to justice.

The taskforce includes the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Prisons Service. At the meeting, the institutions presented reports on the challenges within their mandates. The group later approved a roadmap and set up a technical team to gather case-file data, consult stakeholders and draft recommendations for the Chief Justice.

The initiative follows an earlier meeting between Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija and then Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, where a joint technical committee was proposed to review remand cases and help ease congestion in prisons.