President Museveni has urged judges to prioritise their mental and physical wellness, warning that unchecked pressure from heavy caseloads and public scrutiny undermines productivity and delays justice delivery.
In a speech read by Vice President Jessica Alupo during the 27th Annual Judges’ Conference in Kampala yesterday, the President said a healthy, organised Judiciary is better placed to clear cases, manage pressure and deliver predictable justice.
‘Let us be honest. Backlogs are not caused by laws alone. They arise from systems, organisation, leadership and human capacity. Judges are human beings. They carry heavy workloads, face public pressure and handle emotionally demanding matters,’ Mr Museveni said.
‘If that pressure is not well managed, it affects output. Judicial wellness is, therefore, not a peripheral concern; it is a strategic governance issue,’ he added. According to the latest Judiciary census case file report, there are 167,353 cases pending across all court levels, of which 46,542 are classified as backlog. A case is considered backlogged if it remains unresolved for more than two years. On average, each judicial officer is handling about 305 pending cases, including 85 backlog cases. This year’s conference is themed ‘Judicial Wellness: A Tool for Effective Case Management.’
The President described the theme as ‘timely and strategic’, noting that while the 1995 Constitution vests judicial power in the people, the promise of accessible, timely and impartial justice cannot be realised if judges are overwhelmed or unsupported. ‘Fatigue leads to delay; delay leads to dissatisfaction; and dissatisfaction leads to instability,’ he said. Chief Justice Flavian Zeija said the nature of cases handled by judges can have a profound impact on their mental wellness, citing traumatic criminal trials as particularly demanding. Recalling his time as a trial judge in Mbarara, Justice Zeija narrated handling a murder case in which a son allegedly killed and dismembered his father into pieces.
‘Listening to witnesses describe such gruesome details can have a serious mental bearing on a judge,’ he said. Justice Zeija emphasised that justice is delivered by human beings, and the quality of judicial decisions is closely tied to the wellbeing of those who make them. ‘A healthy, supported Judiciary is less vulnerable to corruption and external influence. Conversely, a stressed or burned-out judge is more likely to face health challenges that can affect judgment and decision-making,’ he said. He encouraged judges to form peer-support groups to help identify early signs of mental distress among colleagues, noting that judges often lead isolated lives.
‘One might not know that a colleague is struggling until mistakes are made. Early support can prevent serious consequences like a judge handling a civil case ending up sentencing a litigant to death,’ he said. Vice President Alupo, speaking on the same theme, called for openness in addressing mental health challenges and decried the stigma surrounding mental health facilities. She shared a personal tale about being discouraged from living in Butabika due to perceptions associated with the area, home to Uganda’s national referral mental health hospital.
President Museveni also urged courts to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to reduce case backlog, saying justice should not be confined to courtrooms alone. ‘Our Constitution recognises reconciliation and traditional justice mechanisms. Promoting alternative justice is not a step backward but a step toward a more accessible and meaningful justice system,’ he said. ‘When people see themselves reflected in the justice system, they trust it more. And a trusted Judiciary is a strong Judiciary,’ the President added. The three-day conference continues with today’s main topic being how to effectively tackle election petitions.
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According to the latest Judiciary case census, a total of 167,353 cases are pending across all levels of court, with 46,542 classified as backlog-defined as matters unresolved for more than two years. On average, each judicial officer is handling about 305 pending cases, including 85 backlog matters. In response, the Judiciary has increasingly prioritised out-of-court settlements and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to ease congestion in courts. The Judiciary further notes that nearly 90 percent of disputes in Uganda are resolved outside the formal court system, largely at the community level.