The Chief Registrar, Her Worship Agnes Alum, has urged Judiciary staff to uphold service standards outlined in the Judiciary Client Charter and ensure accurate recording of court orders, saying the measures are critical to improving service delivery, accountability and public confidence in the administration of justice.
HW Alum made the call on Monday during an inspection of Soroti and Kumi Chief Magistrates Courts aimed at assessing service delivery, engaging staff, appreciating their work and identifying operational challenges requiring intervention by the Judiciary’s Top Management.
She was accompanied by the Deputy Registrar in the Chief Registrar’s Chambers, Her Worship Kosia Kasibayo.
HW Alum said the inspections were also intended to update staff on key developments within the Judiciary, assess their working conditions and gather concerns for presentation to the institution’s Top Management.
At Soroti Chief Magistrates Court, the Chief Registrar paid a courtesy call on the Resident Judge of Soroti High Court, Justice Boniface Wamala, before meeting court staff. She was received by HW Sarah Nantongo, a magistrate at the court.
Addressing staff, HW Alum urged them to familiarise themselves with the Judiciary Client Charter, which she described as a key institutional document outlining the standards of service expected by court users.
She said the Charter binds every Judiciary employee to professionalism, punctuality, integrity, proper preservation of court records and the provision of a safe, accessible and user-friendly environment for all court users.
The Chief Registrar also urged staff to embrace the Judiciary’s digital transformation agenda through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), advising officers with limited computer skills to improve their digital capabilities ahead of the system’s rollout.
She further directed court officials to prevent exhibit stores from becoming congested, urging them to ensure that exhibits relating to concluded cases are disposed of in accordance with the law to create adequate storage space.
HW Alum also briefed staff on upcoming Judiciary programmes, including the National Court Open Day and Benedicto Kiwanuka Memorial Day, both scheduled for September.
During the engagement, staff raised several challenges affecting service delivery, including inadequate storage space, which has forced some archives to be kept inside courtrooms, non-functional transcription equipment and lack of a solar power system.
They also cited reliance on a generator shared with the High Court, which frequently develops mechanical faults and is often prioritised for High Court operations.
HW Nantongo welcomed the inspection, saying judicial officers serving outside Kampala rarely get the opportunity to directly interact with the Judiciary’s Top Management.
Despite the challenges raised, HW Alum commended the Soroti court staff for maintaining a neat, organised and well-managed registry.
The inspection later proceeded to Kumi Chief Magistrates Court, where the Chief Registrar was received by the Assistant Registrar of the Kumi High Court Circuit, HW Umar Nasif Mubiru, before paying a courtesy call on the Resident Judge, Lady Justice Mary Ikit.
At Kumi, HW Alum emphasised the need for court orders to be recorded fully and accurately in the appropriate registers, warning against brief or incomplete entries.
She said proper documentation is essential for effective case management, accountability, timely implementation of court decisions and easy retrieval of court information.
