Justice Institutions Move to Strengthen Health Rights for People in Custody

Justice Institutions Move to Strengthen Health Rights for People in Custody

A new multi-agency committee has begun work to embed health and human rights protections across Uganda’s criminal justice system, from police custody to prisons and reintegration.

The Criminal Justice Health Rights Committee (CJHRC) has begun work to strengthen the protection of health and human rights for people within Uganda’s criminal justice system.

The committee held its inaugural meeting in Kampala following its establishment in March 2026, bringing together senior officials from the Judiciary, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service.

Representatives from the Ministry of Health, Uganda AIDS Commission and the Global Fund also attended the meeting at Skyz Hotel.

Principal Judge Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, who represented Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, said operationalising the committee was critical to making health rights protection a permanent part of Uganda’s justice institutions.

“It is important that the work of the Committee takes off so that it can become a permanent and effective instrument for the protection of health rights within our justice institutions,” Abodo said.

She said the involvement of the major criminal justice institutions was intended to address health rights across the entire justice chain, from police custody and detention to imprisonment and eventual reintegration into communities.

Abodo said the committee would also consider the health rights of police officers, prison staff and other personnel working within the criminal justice system.

The committee is expected to oversee and institutionalise the Breaking Down Barriers (BDB) Initiative, which is being implemented by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in partnership with the Ministry of Health and with support from the Global Fund.

The initiative seeks to address gender and human rights barriers that limit access to health services among detainees and other vulnerable groups, particularly in relation to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Abodo said continued gaps in fulfilling Uganda’s constitutional and international obligations on the right to health required stronger coordination among justice institutions.

“The continued non-adherence to the constitutional and international obligations to protect and promote the right to health highlights the urgent necessity for intensified efforts, and this is where this Committee comes in,” she said.

The committee’s immediate priorities include developing a common understanding of the BDB Initiative, its objectives, Global Fund processes, the National Equity Plan and the responsibilities assigned to each participating institution.

It will then develop measures to monitor and integrate the initiative into the routine operations of criminal justice institutions.

Abodo said health rights interventions should not remain dependent on a time-bound project but should become part of the normal operations of the institutions involved.

“From this meeting specifically, I hope we leave with a shared understanding of the challenges, a clear sense of each institution’s responsibilities, and a practical roadmap for the Committee’s immediate work,” she said.

The Principal Judge reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to the committee, saying the courts would provide strategic guidance, support continuous capacity building for judicial officers and ensure that judicial processes promote health equity, dignity and equality.

“The Judiciary, for its part, remains fully committed. As the guardian of the Constitution and the rights therein, including the right to health, dignity and equality, we shall provide strategic guidance through this Committee,” Abodo said.

The formation of the committee brings together institutions that play different roles in Uganda’s criminal justice chain, with the aim of ensuring that health and human rights protections are maintained throughout the process.

The initiative comes amid concerns over barriers faced by people in detention and other vulnerable populations in accessing essential health services.