The Judiciary has directed the immediate transfer of all pre-election petition case files to the Civil Division of the High Court in a move aimed at ensuring judicial consistency and timely disposal of election-related disputes ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
In a directive issued to all Judges of the High Court, the Principal Judge, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, explained that appeals arising from decisions of the Electoral Commission, which acts in a quasi-judicial capacity, are traditionally handled by the Civil Division.
This is because all such complaints are initially heard and determined by the Electoral Commission at its headquarters in Kampala.
To promote administrative efficiency and consistency in judicial decisions, all Heads of High Court Circuits have been instructed to transfer, with immediate effect, all files relating to pre-election petitions to the Civil Division of the High Court.
Justice Abodo further directed Judges of the Civil Division and those assigned to handle the transferred matters to ensure that all pre-election cases are conclusively heard and determined no later than 9th January 2026.
She emphasized that the deadline is critical to resolving all electoral disputes in good time before the General Elections scheduled for 15th January 2026.
The Principal Judge called for full and urgent cooperation from all judicial officers involved, noting that the Registrar of the High Court, together with the Registrar of the Civil Division, will coordinate the receipt and assignment of the transferred files.
The directive is expected to streamline the handling of election-related cases and enhance public confidence in the judicial process ahead of the upcoming polls.
