The Judiciary has backed the proposed amendments to the Magistrates Courts Amendment Bill, 2026, saying the reforms will ease the growing case backlog at the High Court by allowing more cases to be handled by magistrates’ courts.
In a written submission to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Acting Chief Registrar Lamunu Pamella Ocaya said expanding the civil jurisdiction of magistrates’ courts would allow for the transfer of tens of thousands of cases from the High Court.
“The High Court (both Divisions and Circuits) recorded a total of 70,186 pending cases, with a backlog of 21,317 cases (30.37%). Of these cases, 34,481 cases (49.13%) are eligible for transfer to Magistrates’ Courts, including 11,040 backlog cases (51.79%), which would reduce the overall caseload to 35,705 pending cases and 10,277 backlog cases,” Ocaya stated.
She noted that High Court Circuits carry the largest share of transferable cases, underscoring the potential impact of the proposed reforms if implemented.
“High Court Circuits account for 29,769 cases (71.22%) that can be transferred, including 9,578 backlog cases (73.22%), indicating a substantial reduction in both pending and backlog cases,” she said.
Ocaya added that while High Court Divisions would also benefit, their share of transferable cases remains comparatively lower.
“In contrast, High Court Divisions have 4,712 cases (16.60%) eligible for transfer, including 1,462 backlog cases (17.75%),” she explained.
The proposed law was tabled before Parliament by Norbert Mao on February 27, 2026, seeking to reform the structure and powers of magistrates’ courts in line with current economic realities.
Key proposals in the Bill include increasing the pecuniary jurisdiction of Chief Magistrates and Grade I Magistrates, enhancing their powers to impose higher fines, abolishing the position of Magistrate Grade II, and providing for the designation of magisterial areas.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the current monetary limits for magistrates’ courts were last revised in 2007, setting jurisdiction at Shs50 million for Chief Magistrates and Shs20 million for Grade I Magistrates.
“Due to inflation and changes in value of money, the capping of the value of the subject matter is very low for the Magistrates Courts and as a result, cases that should be handled at the magisterial level end up in the High Court thereby causing backlog,” Mao noted in the Bill.
The reforms are meant to improve efficiency in the justice system by reducing delays and bringing services closer to the public if passed into law.
