The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has proposed an urgent Bar-Bench meeting to resolve the escalating crisis between the judiciary and the legal profession.
This proposal follows Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo Chigamoy’s demand last week for an apology from ULS leadership for their alleged abuses against judicial officers, including Justice Musa Ssekaana.
According to the ULS, the Chief Justice’s demands were a clear attempt to “weaponize the judiciary” to harass, intimidate, and silence Senior Counsel Isaac Ssemakadde, the head of the bar.
During a press conference on Thursday at the ULS House in Kampala, Eddy Nangulu, the ULS Council representative for Eastern Uganda, read a protest note that the ULS had written to the Chief Justice.
In this letter, the ULS expressed their strongest objection to the Chief Justice’s actions, which they believe undermine the principles of justice, the rule of law, and the independence of the Bar.
The controversy began in January 2022 when High Court Judge Ssekaana found lawyer Male Mabirizi in contempt of court and ordered him to pay a 300 million Shillings fine.
Ssekaana, who has since been promoted to the Constitutional Court, later jailed Mabirizi for 18 months after he repeatedly abused Ssekaana and other judicial officers.
Following this, the ULS president, Isaac Ssemakadde, criticized Ssekaana’s decision on social media, using vulgar language.
This was considered one of the most serious offenses the Chief Justice had encountered in his tenure.
As a result, Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo warned that if the ULS did not apologize, he would take action, stating that it was not a mere threat, but a promise of serious repercussions.
However, the ULS has refused to back down. Instead, they are calling for an urgent meeting facilitated by neutral mediators to resolve the crisis, restore trust in justice, fairness, and due process, and address the concerns of the legal profession.
In a strongly worded letter dated February 13, 2025, the ULS Governing Council also protested the arbitrary removal of President Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde from the program for the New Law Year 2025, and from other future Judiciary events during his tenure as ULS President.
They argued that this action not only silenced the Bar but also undermined the collaborative relationship between the judiciary and the legal profession.
The letter also raised concerns about the opaque proceedings involving Justice Musa Ssekaana, particularly the directive issued to ULS President Ssemakadde to apologize, coupled with the threat of drastic retaliatory action if he failed to comply.
The lawyers contended that these actions violated basic principles of natural justice, as there were no clear charges and no fair hearing.
“We find it particularly troubling that these actions are inconsistent with the Chief Justice’s historical role in conflict resolution, including his involvement in peace talks and his service as legal counsel during the Juba peace negotiations.
This contrast underscores a capacity for mediation and dialogue that appears to be absent in the present situation,” the letter reads.
The ULS has called for the Chief Justice to take immediate action to address this injustice and has urged him to facilitate the Bar-Bench meeting to resolve the crisis.
The protest note, signed by Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, has been copied to several high-ranking officials, including the Deputy Chief Justice, the Principal Judge, the Chief Registrar, the Secretary to the Judiciary, the Registrar/Judiciary PRO, the President of the Uganda Judicial Officers’ Association, and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
Lawyer Nangulu commented that the issues between a judge and a private lawyer should be resolved separately and expressed regret that the Chief Justice had used a national event to settle personal scores by threatening to ban lawyers from courts.
Meanwhile, during the same event, the ULS and the UK Ugandan Lawyers Association (UULA) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering cooperation and collaboration between Ugandan lawyers in the UK and their counterparts in Uganda.
The MOU, signed by Isaac Ssemakadde on behalf of the ULS and Frances KN Ddungu-Smith, the President of UULA, outlines several objectives.
These include facilitating cooperation, establishing a cross-border referral system, promoting networking, and developing training programs for UK-trained Ugandan lawyers in Ugandan legal practice.
The agreement also seeks to address challenges faced by UK-trained Ugandan lawyers in enrolling in the Ugandan Bar, provide legal knowledge exchange on areas such as immigration and business laws, and offer mentorship to aspiring Ugandan lawyers in the UK.
The ULS and UULA will collaborate on areas including training, cross-border legal referrals, knowledge sharing, and policy engagement.
A joint working committee will oversee the implementation of the MOU, which will remain in force for 10 years, subject to renewal by mutual agreement. Either party may terminate the agreement with two months’ written notice.
Frances KN Ddungu-Smith, who was the chief guest at the signing, emphasized that it was time for change.
She noted that lawyers in the diaspora now felt included thanks to the ULS’s support and efforts to bring together lawyers both in Uganda and abroad.
“We need to walk the talk,” she said. “We need to find ways to work together for the benefit of the Bar and the country.” Frances also pointed out that lawyers must expand their focus beyond Ugandan cases and learn from international practices.
She highlighted how lawyers abroad were able to earn a living during the COVID-19 lockdown, while their counterparts in Uganda struggled, demonstrating the importance of global cooperation.
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