KAMPALA-Uganda Law Society President, Isaac Ssemakadde has written to the Chief Justice of Uganda , Alfonse Owiny Dollo requesting him to intervene in the slow case disposal rate at Supreme Court which has greatly affected people’s trust in the Judiciary.
“We are facing a judicial crisis that threatens to unravel the very fabric of rule of law in Uganda.Four years have passed without judgment on any constitutional appeal. Four years! According to the Judiciary’s Annual Performance Report, the Supreme Court’s overall clearance rate was 8% in 2023, and 10% in 2024.” Reads part of the open letter dated 29th November 2024.
That Supreme Court’s act of maintenance of obnoxious injunctions against judgments of the Court of Appeal/Constitutional Court represents a dangerous precedent. “It suggests an imbalance where government interests are consistently prioritized over Constitutional principles and citizens’ rights. It is a systematic undermining of judicial independence.”
Ssemakadde also emphasized that the more, such obnoxious injunctions remain in place, is the more the country’s legal system loses credibility.
“Above all else, active citizens demanded accountability for the Supreme Court’s excruciatingly delayed ruling on prosecuting civilians in military tribunals. For many, this grotesque delay symbolizes a profound institutional crisis that demands immediate, unequivocal intervention.”
The President noted that he brought the above issues to the attention of Chief Justice because the responsibility to restore justice rests squarely on his shoulders. “By bringing this to you, I am not merely raising a concern, but challenging you to be the catalyst for the systemic transformation our judiciary desperately requires.”
Last month , ULS President being a company by a group of other people paid a visit to Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo on a luncheon where they discussed a number of issues that were not disclosed to the public.
This left questions among the heads of some members of the Association (especially those that thought that bringing judiciary to check doesn’t require these two to meet).
It’s this meeting , that awakened the misunderstanding between Maverick Lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi and Isaac Ssemakadde.
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