Kampala– The Chief Justice, Dr Flavian Zeija, has held high-level talks with Dr Katja Yvonne Kerschbaumer, Head of the Austrian Embassy and Development Cooperation in Uganda, aimed at reviewing ongoing collaboration and charting new areas of engagement between Austria and the Judiciary.
The meeting, held at the Court of Appeal building in Kampala, focused on strengthening cooperation in judicial reform, access to justice, and institutional capacity building, with particular emphasis on a gender-based violence (GBV) project running from December 2024 to November 2027.
Dr Kerschbaumer briefed the Chief Justice on progress made under the Austria-funded project implemented by UN Women. She highlighted key milestones, including project launches in Masaka and Gulu, a joint monitoring visit to Masaka, training of judicial officers, and the handover of forensic crime-scene equipment to the Police.
However, she raised concerns regarding leadership and coordination of the initiative, proposing that the Chief Justice serve as a champion of the project while maintaining the involvement of the Principal Judge and Heads of Court in the respective project areas. She emphasized that UN Women remains the implementing agency and should lead on planning, logistics, and scheduling of activities, noting that previous challenges stemmed from unclear coordination structures.
Dr Kerschbaumer congratulated Dr Zeija upon his elevation to Chief Justice and recalled their prior collaboration under a UN Women programme. She underscored the importance of strengthening the project’s visibility through a clear communication strategy, including development of information materials and enhanced media engagement.
She further informed the Chief Justice that Austria is chairing the Justice Development Partners Group for the third time this year, with the Netherlands Embassy serving as co-chair in preparation for a future handover. According to Dr Kerschbaumer, development partners are increasingly interested in engaging directly with the Judiciary due to its institutional independence, and she encouraged the Judiciary to further structure and formalize its engagement with justice sector stakeholders.
The Austrian envoy also outlined other Austrian-supported initiatives with judicial components, including partnerships with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). These programmes focus on sexual and reproductive health rights, anti-corruption efforts, and reduction of case backlog.
She noted growing interest among development partners in reforms that support infrastructure development and environmental protection, including the proposed establishment of an Environmental Court and the fast-tracking of environmental and infrastructure-related cases to boost investor confidence.
In response, Chief Justice Zeija welcomed Austria’s continued support and agreed on the need to review the status of the UN Women project. He indicated that he would convene a meeting bringing together Judiciary implementation teams and UN Women representatives to assess progress and determine the next steps.
The Chief Justice shared his broader vision of establishing specialized courts and tracks within the Judiciary, including an Environmental Court as a Division of the High Court, with corresponding units at magistrates’ courts to facilitate faster disposal of environmental and infrastructure-related disputes. He stressed the importance of timely resolution of cases involving compulsory land acquisition for public infrastructure projects, warning that delays in such matters hinder national development.
Dr Zeija also revealed plans to decentralize the Inspectorate of Courts to strengthen the fight against corruption at the regional level and emphasized the need to improve customer care and service delivery within the Judiciary.
The meeting signals deepening cooperation between Austria and Uganda’s Judiciary, with both sides expressing commitment to advancing reforms that enhance access to justice, institutional accountability, and sustainable development.
