Kampala, Uganda | The Judiciary has announced plans to establish and operationalize two new High Court circuits in West Nile bringing the total to three.

The existing High Court circuit will continue to handle cases from Arua district , Terego, and Koboko. This was revealed by the principal judge, Flavian Zeija, during his visit to Arua over concerns of case backlog and the long distances litigants must travel to access justice.

According to Grace Magara, the resident judge of Arua High Court , the additional high court circuits will help address the challenges such as high transport, delayed trials, and long distances to court.

A high court in Moyo will serve the districts of Moyo, Yumbe, Obongi, and Adjumani, while another in Nebbi will serve Zombo, Nebbi, and Madi Okollo. Zeija further stated that currently West Nile had one High Court with a single resident judge serving the entire region from Pakwach to Adjumani, making access to justice expensive and tedious; Moyo High Court will be operationalized in the next financial year, followed by the Nebbi High Court.

Legal practitioners in West Nile have welcomed the decision, saying that it will reduce litigation costs and create employment opportunities for the local population, thus speeding up justice delivery.