Each year, most judges and judicial officers take a month-long judicial recess, in August, ahead of the new judiciary year starting in September. This raises concerns about the status of ongoing cases and individuals in custody during the period when judges are on holiday.

While most judges and judicial officers are on recess, court spokesperson Harrison Mutabazi told The New Times, a select few remain on duty to handle urgent matters. These urgent matters, he noted, typically include pre-trial detentions and other pressing applications.

"Urgent applications are mainly in civil matters, such as those of auctions among others,” Mutabazi said.

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Asked about the number of staff on standby during the recess, he said, "The number of court staff working during the recess is determined by the traffic of cases in a particular court.”

This year’s recess will conclude in September when the judiciary will evaluate last year’s achievements and set the course for the new year (2024/2025).

According to the latest report, the number of adjudicated cases in the 2022/2023 judicial year increased by 8,000 compared to the previous year, marking a 29 percent increase over the past four years.

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The report also highlighted a 122 percent increase in the case backlog between 2019/2020 and 2022/2023. This backlog is attributed to a 22 percent rise in newly filed cases during this period, with judged cases representing 87 percent of the new cases filed in 2022/2023.

In terms of quality justice, the rate of injustices dropped to 1 percent from 3 percent in the 2021/2022 period.

"Despite commendable performance, the judiciary still faces several challenges hindering its vision. Notably, the persistent increase in case backlog due to the rising number of new cases filed each year, while the number of judges and judicial officers continues to decline,” the report stated.

Other challenges include difficulties in attracting and retaining competent and experienced judges due to less attractive remuneration, and the lack of appropriate working premises for many courts.