law 27 March 2026 Parliament of Uganda
Parliament Passes Bill to Boost Magistrates' Financial Limits and Court Efficiency
Uganda's Parliament has approved the Magistrates Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2026, raising financial jurisdiction for magistrates to handle more civil cases and ease High Court backlogs. The reforms also enhance sentencing powers, abolish outdated positions, and allow case transfers to speed up justice delivery. Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/4324/new-law-increase-magistrates-financial-jurisdiction
Parliament has passed the Magistrates Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2026, awaiting presidential assent to reform lower courts. The changes aim to empower magistrates, cut High Court congestion, and make justice more accessible.
Key updates include doubling chief magistrates’ civil jurisdiction from Shs50 million to Shs100 million, and raising magistrates’ limit from Shs20 million to Shs50 million. These adjustments address inflation since the last revision in 2007, preventing minor cases from overwhelming higher courts.
Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Chairperson, Hon. Stephen Baka Mugabi, noted that outdated caps forced suitable magisterial cases into the High Court, causing delays. The Bill also boosts chief magistrates’ authority to Shs200 million for commercial, land, family, and civil matters.
Further reforms abolish the obsolete Magistrate Grade II position, aligning the law with the Judiciary’s structure. Chief magistrates can now transfer out-of-jurisdiction cases instead of dismissing them, saving litigants time and costs by referring them to appropriate courts like the High Court.
Attorney General Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka backed the Bill, citing Judiciary data, and noted a proposal for Shs300 million chief magistrate threshold was set aside for evidence-based limits.
These steps are set to decongest courts and bring services closer to citizens, as per Mugabi.
Source: Parliament of Uganda