Tensions Between the Uganda Law Society and the Judiciary

The president of the Uganda Law Society, was invading the Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo’s space and stating that he was embarrassed. He had not been invited to speak, and the the Chief Justice was not responsible for protocol, so he did not have an answer for him. However, Alphonse Owiny-Dollo assured him that he would certainly address him in his speech.

The Chief Justice stated that only a fool, someone who was completely lacking in understanding and truly meant it, would allow themselves to be insulted, degraded, and dehumanized, only for the offender to come to their compound and act as if it were business as usual. He emphasized that it was not business as usual, though one could choose to make it so. He reiterated that he had already spoken about the matter and confirmed that he (Chief Justice) was the one who had declared that the president of the Uganda Law Society, Isaac Semakade, would not speak at the judiciary function.

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Remarks from the President of the Uganda Law Society

The President of the Uganda Law Society, Isaac Ssemakade, stated after the event that there was increasing aggression and animosity from certain sections of the judiciary, including stock management, not only towards the legal profession but also against the Ugandan people.

Chief Justice’s Remarks on Institutional Challenges

Alphonse Owiny-Dollo revealed that they had carried out massive recruitments of magistrates and members of the lower bench. However, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions was unable to keep up with the pace. At one point, he had to forfeit his own funding to support the Directorate in recruiting staff. As a result, many courts were left without prosecutors.