- Clears 93pc of economic cases
DODOMA: THE Judiciary has successfully cleared 93 per cent of economic, commercial, land and tax cases within about a month, unlocking 13.1tri/- back into circulation and boosting confidence in the country’s justice system.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Dodoma, the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary of Tanzania, Eva Nkya, said a total of 2,973 cases were heard between November 3 and December 15 last year, surpassing the initial target of 2,128 cases agreed upon during a stakeholders’ meeting held on October 8th, last year.
She said that during the special sessions, additional cases were incorporated after some were finalised earlier than expected.
“While we were proceeding with the hearings, some cases were concluded ahead of time, enabling us to add 1,068 more cases, including 256 related to social security matters, bringing the total number of cases handled to 3,196,” she said.
The Registrar recalled that during the October 8th 2025 meeting, stakeholders resolved to fast-track 2,128 economic cases that were ready for determination at various levels of the court system.
At the time, 405 cases were pending at the Court of Appeal, 1,673 at the High Court, 17 at Resident Magistrates’ Courts and 33 at District Courts. The 2,128 cases initially identified involved claims amounting to 4.4tri/-, which had been tied up due to pending court proceedings.
“By December 15th last year, when we concluded the exercise, we had achieved remarkable success, disposing of more than 93 per cent of the targeted cases,” she said.
lMs Nkya added that the 2,973 cases finalised during the special sessions involved claims worth 13.1tri/-, funds that have now been released back into economic circulation.
“To us, this is a major achievement. We thank all stakeholders who participated in these special sessions. We agreed to promote alternative dispute resolution, and through court-led mediation, 18 cases were settled, while 25 others were resolved through out-of-court settlements,” she said.
She noted that the achievement aligns with this year’s Law Day theme, which focused on the Judiciary’s contribution to social welfare and national development. Ms Nkya said the Judiciary’s core mandate remains the timely dispensation of justice to reduce costs and delays for litigants.
The special sessions significantly reduced case backlog, with pending cases at the end of last year standing at only five per cent of the total caseload.
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Moreover, the average case disposal time dropped to 96 days, while primary courts, which handle more than 70 per cent of all cases, recorded an average disposal time of just 30 days.
The special meetings brought together key public and private institutions involved in economic and commercial matters, including the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Tanzania, the Planning Commission, the Fair Competition Commission, the Tax Revenue Appeals Board, the Tanzania Bankers Association, the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, the Special Economic Zones Authority and the Tanganyika Law Society, among others.
She added that the ongoing meeting is a continuation of the October 2025 resolution to hold four stakeholder meetings annually, covering not only economic and commercial disputes but also criminal justice matters.
“Last year we held a criminal justice stakeholders’ meeting, and we expect to convene another to assess progress on the strategies we agreed upon,” she said.