Judiciary establishes Court of Appeal circuits to bolster access to justice

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The Judiciary has established eight Court of Appeal circuits across the country in a landmark reform aimed at bringing appellate justice closer to the people, reducing case backlogs, shortening appeal timelines and lowering the cost of accessing justice.

The circuits will be based in Arua, Fort Portal, Gulu, Jinja, Masaka, Mbale, Mbarara and Mubende.

The new circuits are expected to significantly improve efficiency in the administration of justice by decongesting the Court of Appeal in Kampala and easing the burden on litigants and advocates who previously had to travel long distances to access appellate services.

The reform is anchored in Legal Notice No. 21 of 2025, the Constitution (Creation of the Court of Appeal Circuits) (Practice) Directions, 2025, issued by retired Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo pursuant to Article 133(1)(b) of the Constitution on October 30, 2025.

According to Judiciary spokesperson James Ereemye, the decentralisation will enable litigants and legal practitioners to access appellate justice within their respective regions, saving time and resources.

He said the initiative forms part of the Judiciary’s broader commitment to strengthening access to justice, enhancing public confidence in the justice system and improving service delivery nationwide.

Ereemye added that implementation of the circuits will be carried out in phases, beginning with Gulu and Mbarara, once construction of the respective court houses, which has already commenced, is completed.

The move is widely viewed as a progressive step towards a more accessible, responsive and people-centred justice system.

Once all the circuits are operational, appeals from the High Courts of Arua, Moyo and Nebbi will be filed and handled by the Arua Court of Appeal circuit, while the Fort Portal circuit will handle appeals from the High Courts of Fort Portal, Hoima, Kasese and Masindi.

The Gulu circuit will handle appeals from the High Courts of Gulu, Apac, Dokolo, Kitgum, Lira and Patongo.

Appeals from the High Courts of Jinja, Bugiri, Iganga, Lugazi and Mukono will be handled by the Jinja circuit, while those from the High Courts of Masaka, Rakai and Mpigi will be handled by the Masaka circuit.

The Mbale circuit will handle appeals from the High Courts of Mbale, Pallisa, Tororo, Soroti, Kumi and Moroto, while the Mbarara circuit will handle appeals from the High Courts of Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Kabale, Rukungiri and Ntungamo.

The Mubende circuit will handle appeals from the High Courts of Mubende and Kiboga.

As a transitional measure, Ereemye said all appeals and constitutional petitions currently pending before the Court of Appeal in Kampala, which fall under the jurisdiction of the newly created circuits and have not yet been heard, will be transferred to the respective circuits once they become operational.