A High Court in Moyo will serve the districts of Moyo, Yumbe, Obongi, and Adjumani, while another in Nebbi will serve Zombo, Nebbi, Pakwach, and Madi Okollo.
The Judiciary is set to establish and operationalize two additional High Court Circuits in West Nile, bringing the total to three. A High Court in Moyo will serve the districts of Moyo, Yumbe, Obongi, and Adjumani, while another in Nebbi will serve Zombo, Nebbi, Pakwach, and Madi Okollo.
The existing Arua High Court will continue to handle cases from Arua District and City, Maracha, Terego, and Koboko. The announcement was made by Dr. Flavian Zeija, the Principal Judge of Uganda, during his visit to Arua, following concerns over case backlog and the long distances litigants must travel to access justice.
Currently, West Nile has only one High Court in Arua, with a single Resident Judge, serving the entire region from Pakwach to Adjumani, making access to justice expensive and tedious. Dr. Zeija stated that the Moyo High Court will be operationalized in the next financial year, followed by the Nebbi High Court.
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Legal practitioners in West Nile have welcomed the decision, saying it will reduce litigation costs and create employment opportunities for the local population.
Counsel Sam Ondoma of Alaka and Company Advocates in Arua said the additional High Courts will help speed up justice delivery.
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Meanwhile, Jimmy Madira, a Senior Counsel in West Nile, noted that establishing two more High Court Circuits will spur regional development and expand business opportunities.
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According to Grace Magara, the Resident Judge of Arua High Court, the additional High Courts will help address challenges such as delayed trials, high transport costs, and long distances to court.
As of Thursday, records from Arua High Court showed 596 criminal cases, with 76 classified as backlog, 607 civil suits, with 298 backlog, 111 family cases, with 6 backlog, and 647 land cases, with 323 backlog.
The expansion of the Judiciary in West Nile is expected to improve access to justice and enhance service delivery in the region.
