The Judiciary on Thursday marked a major milestone in justice administration with the launch of the 2025 National Court Case Census Report, presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, a decade after the inaugural census.
Speaking at the launch, Justice Zeija said the census was designed to establish an accurate, comprehensive, and verifiable record of all pending cases across every level of the Judiciary, from the Supreme Court to Magistrates Grade II Courts.
He emphasized that reliable and timely data is essential for the Judiciary to effectively fulfil its constitutional mandate.
The census captured case data as of 12 January 2025, referred to as census night, and analysed cases by court level, type, stage, age, subject matter, region, and involvement of vulnerable groups. Justice Zeija noted that the findings provide a strong foundation for strategic planning, improved case management, and targeted interventions aimed at reducing case backlog.
He further stressed that the exercise should not be treated as a one-off activity, but rather institutionalised as an annual Judiciary practice to track progress, measure the impact of reforms, identify emerging trends, and enhance accountability at all levels.
The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, welcomed the report, saying it offers clarity on the nature of cases and guides where interventions are most needed, particularly in resource allocation and judicial deployment. She noted that the findings expose key delays and bottlenecks, enabling informed decisions on early and expedited case management initiatives.
Justice Abodo also commended the leadership of the Chief Justice, Chief Justice Emeritus Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, and Deputy Chief Justice Emeritus Justice Richard Buteera for steering the Case Management Committee that produced the report. She pledged that the Judiciary would actively use the findings to improve justice delivery, rather than shelving the report.
Opening the event, the Acting Chief Registrar, HW Lamunu Pamella Ocaya, highlighted the extensive collaboration and coordination that made the census possible, describing it as a key milestone in the Judiciary’s transformation agenda through digital case tracking and evidence-based planning.
She noted that the census goes beyond statistics, serving as a mirror reflecting workload, performance, bottlenecks, and opportunities for reform, in line with the Judiciary Strategic Plan and the Government’s commitment to efficient, accountable, and people-centred institutions.
“This report is a vital management and policy tool that will guide court administration, inform judicial deployment, shape reforms, and ultimately strengthen access to justice for all court users,” she said.
Key findings of the census show that there are 167,353 pending cases across all court levels, with the High Court (70,006 cases) and Chief Magistrates’ Courts (64,937 cases) carrying the heaviest caseloads. Criminal cases account for the majority at 65,709, followed by 44,911 civil cases and 33,496 land-related cases.
Encouragingly, about 72 percent of the pending cases are less than two years old, while 2,327 cases have been pending for over ten years, highlighting areas requiring focused intervention. The High Court and Chief Magistrates’ Courts account for the largest share of backlog cases.
Regionally, the Central Region recorded the highest backlog with 16,224 cases, while the Northern Region registered the lowest at 3,915 cases.
