ADR push in northern Uganda to settle over 200 cases
According to Nanteza, judicial officers will engage with the parties whose cases have been identified between 2 and June 13 2025, before the final list is drawn up, since ADR is voluntary.
Nanteza Zulaika, the Acting Registrar in charge of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Registry addressing journalist. (Photo by Jesse Johnson James)
By Jesse Johnson James
Journalists @New Vision
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The Judiciary is targeting the resolution of over 200 disputes through mediation in northern Uganda in June 2025.
The disputes—ranging from land, civil, to family matters—will be handled under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism across the High Court circuits of Gulu, Kitgum, Lira, and Arua, as well as the newly established court in Patongo Town Council, Agago district.
The mediation programme, dubbed “The Settlement Fortnight”, is scheduled to run from June 16 to 27, 2025, according to Nanteza Zulaika, the Acting Registrar in charge of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Registry.
She noted that over 500 case files have so far been identified for mediation.
“It is going to be free of charge. The Judiciary is going to buy everything from stationery to welfare in terms of meals. Therefore, we're going to be doing that activity, and no one should be asked to pay any money,” she said.
Head of Gulu High Court Circuit, Justice Phillip Odoki (right), receiving his certificate after undergoing a five -day training on ADR and case management.
According to Nanteza, judicial officers will engage with the parties whose cases have been identified between 2 and June 13 2025, before the final list is drawn up, since ADR is voluntary.
“…mediation is not compulsory. You can only mediate a matter when parties are willing. So, they're going to have engagements with them between now and the 16th, when the programme is supposed to be starting. And eventually we shall have a final list of the parties who are going to participate in that two-week programme,” Nanteza explained.
Between May 26 and 30, 2025, the Judiciary Training Institute, with support from the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), trained 70 judicial officers from across the northern region in ADR and case management.
The training, which benefited resident judges, chief magistrates, Grade One magistrates, and other court staff from Gulu, Lira, Arua, Kitgum and Patongo, was held at Acholi Inn in Gulu city.
Nanteza told our reporter in an interview that the Settlement Fortnight will be an opportunity to test the ADR and case management skills acquired by judicial officers.
“A judicial officer cannot be hearing a matter and then also be the mediator in that file… that means if a matter fails in mediation, it will still be referred back to the judicial officer who was supposed to be hearing it or who has been hearing it, to continue with the hearings and then make a decision,” she said.
“We hope that we are going to have successes,” Nanteza added.
ADR in Uganda
ADR refers to several methods of resolving legal disputes outside of court, such as mediation, arbitration, conciliation, and negotiation.
In Uganda’s justice system, ADR was introduced in 2013 but later went dormant. It was revived last year, and to date, over 100 courts across the country have mediators, with more still being trained, according to Nanteza.
“From July to December last year, more than 3,000 cases were resolved through ADR, and more have been resolved from that time to present,” she revealed.
Judicial officers on ADR
According to Pamela Lamunu Ocaya, the acting chief registrar, ADR enables faster resolution of disputes compared to traditional litigation.
She, however, urged judicial officers to carry out their duties in accordance with the law and ensure compliance with the principles outlined in the Judicial Code of Conduct.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo said ADR mechanisms—in both criminal and civil matters—align with the Judiciary’s transformation agenda of delivering justice for all.
“ADR is not the alternative but the original way of administering justice to the people in a more meaningful and relevant manner,” he explained, adding, “we are re-engineering our approach to ADR and to ensure that ADR efforts are properly coordinated, we have appointed Hon. Justice Prof. Andrew Khauka to head the ADR initiative within the Judiciary.”