Criminal Justice Reforms and Pre-Trial Detention in Uganda: A Comparative Analysis

Uganda's criminal justice system has faced challenges in reducing pre-trial detention times, which can lead to prolonged periods of incarceration and undermine fair trial rights. The research employs a comparative analysis, drawing on data from Uganda's legal records and interviews with stakeholders including judges, prosecutors, defence attorneys, and prisoners. Recent reforms have led to a significant decrease in pre-trial detention times for certain categories of cases, particularly those involving minor offenses and less serious crimes. The study concludes that while the reforms show promise, they are not uniformly effective across all jurisdictions and need further refinement to ensure fair trial rights. Stakeholders should consider implementing community-based alternatives to detention for low-risk offenders as a supplementary measure alongside legal reforms.