Uganda Law Society President and “Rebel Lawyer” Isaac K. Ssemakadde has issued a sharply worded open letter to Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, urging immediate action to address what he describes as a “judicial crisis that threatens to unravel the very fabric of rule of law in Uganda.”
In the letter, Ssemakadde commended the Chief Justice’s “responsive leadership” in allowing the suspension of court business for an extraordinary ULS general meeting scheduled for 17 December 2024. However, he did not hold back in highlighting systemic failures that, he warned, threaten the integrity of Uganda’s judiciary.
“The recent detention of Dr. Kizza Besigye, after his abduction and rendition from Kenya, is symptomatic of a deeper exacerbated malaise,” Ssemakadde wrote, pointing to a pattern of “prosecutorial misconduct, a police-to-prison pipeline, and judicial decisions that seem motivated by interests far removed from legal principles.”
He described the judiciary’s inefficiency as “a systematic erosion of justice,” noting that “four years have passed without judgment on any constitutional appeal” and that the Supreme Court’s clearance rate in 2024 was a mere 10%.
Injunctions
Particularly scathing was Ssemakadde’s criticism of the Supreme Court’s handling of injunctions. He accused the court of perpetuating “obnoxious injunctions” that delay substantive rulings by the Court of Appeal, stating:
“By allowing obnoxious injunctions to perpetually delay substantive rulings of the lower court, the Supreme Court is effectively becoming a blunt instrument of governmental strategy, rather than a smart, independent arbiter of justice.”
Ssemakadde also addressed delays in resolving the contentious issue of prosecuting civilians in military tribunals, calling it “a grotesque delay” that symbolizes a broader institutional failure.
“For many, this grotesque delay symbolizes a profound institutional crisis that demands immediate, unequivocal intervention,” he wrote, adding that it is “a direct assault on human rights that you, Hon. Chief Justice, are morally and constitutionally obligated to address and repair.”
The letter was both a challenge and an appeal. “We need more than adjournments, sympathetic ears, and sumptuous luncheons. We need action. A ruling notice. A clear signal that the judiciary will hold itself, and its most senior members, accountable.”
Ssemakadde emphasized the need for the judiciary to reclaim public trust, stating, “As the nation’s top court, the Supreme Court must be our beacon of accountability, our instrument of systemic restoration. The lack of decisive movement in the top court creates a vacuum where justice suffocates.”
In closing, he urged the Chief Justice to act decisively: “Will you help us restore the integrity of our legal system? Will you deal with the Elephant in the Room?”
The Chief Justice has not yet responded to the letter. The legal fraternity and the public await his response as the judiciary faces mounting scrutiny over its role in upholding the rule of law.
