Justice Needs and Satisfaction in Uganda

The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) has been conducting Justice Needs and Satisfaction (JNS) studies in Uganda since 2015. In technical cooperation with the Justice Law and Order subsector and the Administration of Justice Programme, the third iteration of the JNS has been published in 2024.

The JNS 2024 was informed by a reference group, consisting of 12 stakeholder institutions. The reference group members, under the adaptation workshop, provided feedback and suggestions and made sure the questionnaire was a relevant research instrument for Uganda. They jointly discussed the standardised lists of legal problems and justice actors and the preliminary findings. To collect the data, HiiL worked with Research World International, a local partner for data collection services.

The 2024 JNS survey sheds light on people’s justice needs and the paths they navigate when faced with legal issues. Unlike other surveys, it provides a comprehensive understanding of what a successful justice journey entails and offers invaluable insights for improving justice service delivery in Uganda. Legal problems remain widespread, with an increase from 84% in 2020 to 95% in 2024. Land issues, family disputes, domestic violence, and crime continue to be the most pressing concerns, affecting different demographic groups in distinct ways.

Encouragingly, there has been a rise in action and resolution rates since 2020, indicating an improvement in Ugandans’ legal capabilities and awareness of their rights. The action rate in 2024 stands at 93%, a significant increase from 80% in 2020. However, a portion of individuals refrain from taking action due to pessimism about the outcome. The resolution rate in 2024 shows improvement, with 55% of problems partially or completely resolved, compared to 48% in 2020. Despite this progress, many issues are still addressed outside the formal justice system, primarily through Local Council Courts and traditional leaders, particularly in rural areas.

While community justice providers play a crucial role, there are concerns about their effectiveness and accessibility, especially for vulnerable groups such as women and those with lower education and financial means. Strengthening cooperation between community and formal justice systems could address some of these challenges. The findings also emphasise the importance of designing policies and services that cater to the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, youth, and individuals with limited resources. Bridging demographic gaps in access to justice is essential for equitable outcomes.

The JNS data serves as a cornerstone for evidence-based priority setting, enabling efficient resource allocation and improved transparency and accountability in justice programming. Regular surveying can also be used to monitor and evaluate which services are actually working to help people resolve their most serious legal problems. This helps to allocate resources in efficient evidence-based ways, as well as improve transparency and accountability.