Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Norbert Mao has stepped up efforts to reconcile the Uganda Law Society and the Judiciary before the legitimate retirement of Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo.
His intervention comes at a time when the bar-bench relationship in Uganda is at its worst. Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, all one of the best way by the opening of the Contemporary Law twelve months, 2025 denied the Law Society President or the Contemporary Radical Bar from speaking on the annual occasion that on the total attracts top officials for the Judiciary and its connected institutions, officials from the Legislature, the Executive and Diplomatic Corps.
Justice Owiny-Dolllo requested the Contemporary Radical Bar and seriously, Isaac Ssemakadde to notify regret to Judge Musa Ssekaana and the DPP, Jane Frances Abodo.
He threatened that the courts could additionally notify the Uganda Law Society or its officials target audience of the apology became no longer made The topic became worsened after Judge Musa Ssekaana tried and positioned him responsible of contempt of court docket-connected costs.
That forced Isaac Ssemakadde to self-exile. He fled the country. In March, the Buganda Boulevard Chief Magistrate ordered the Worldwide Police to arrest Ssemakadde on the quiz of non-public prosecutors Tonny Tumukunde and Joshua Byamazima in a case connected his alleged abuse of the DPP, Janes Frances Abodo.
The High Court docket no longer too prolonged ago ordered for discontinue of complaints if that’s the case. Currently, the bar-bench relation went exact into a disaster after lawyers in the Higher Masaka role boycotted court docket proceeding protesting that the situation has finest one attain to a resolution.
He equated the topic in Masaka to a constitutional disaster basing on the reality that the of us in that role were being denied win exact of entry to to justice. With the mounting animosity between the 2 our bodies who’re in essence speculated to play a complimentary role.
Nobert Mao has reached out to the Uganda Law Society proposing some form of mediation or different dispute resolution (ADR) to full the standoff. Mao has steered that the retired worn Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Buteera heads the mediation.
Justice Buteera and Owiny-Dollo were ardent supporters of the Replacement Dispute Resolution win of Justice. Justice Owiny-Dollo who retires in January 2026 has indicated that he’ll champion ADR back as dwelling whereas in retirement.
Nobert Mao became las week hosted on an X situation talk hosted by city lawyer, Ellison Karuhanga.The placement attracted many senior lawyers and the Vice President of the Uganda Law Society. Among the many lawyers who pleaded for an end to the sizzling disaster became the worn Nybushozi County MP, Hon Ely Karuhanga.
“The law society must title bridge builders and the judiciary additionally must title bridge builders. The retired deputy Chief justice generally is a bridge builder” acknowledged Mao.
“I contain no longer spoken to the law society President. However I imagine that there could be not a motive why he can not return to Uganda. I will remark you. It doesn’t back the authorities to position Ssemakadde in detention heart. I could stutter in opposition to it. Typically we’ve got such issues” he acknowledged Mao published that here are a series of judges who in truth feel that the relationship between the bar and the bench must be improved.
“Now I must remark the lawyers that I don’t assume here’s non-public between the Chief Justice and the law society. Or no longer it’s crucial to know that here’s no longer the predominant time that he chief justice has crossed swords with the third win collectively” he acknowledged.
Norbert Mao’s Views on the bar-bench relationship Mao acknowledged he believes that the dispute between the Contemporary Radical Bar and the bench headed by the Chief Justice, Owiny-Dollo is now ripe for resolution.
“There became a time when it became no longer ripe for resolution. Every person wished to exhibit one thing. Nut the Chief Justice is retiring in a few months. I don’t imagine he desires to retire as head of the Judiciary when he’s at warfare with the bar” acknowledged Mao.
“The lawyers are grumbling in the corridors about how the judges are being appointed, they must be on the sleek Judicial Products and companies Commission in allege that they can focus on relating to the points that they assume can toughen the appointment of the finest that that it’s possible you’ll per chance per chance additionally assume of judicial officers” he acknowledged.
Mao has been of the closest chums to Justice Owiny-Dollo. They both served as Contributors of Parliament from Acholi.
Owiny-Dollo’s other closest chums became the unhurried worn Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanya. Also a believer and practitioner of Replacement Dispute Resolution, Mao supplied to mediate in the topic place that he had made some of his opinion on the topic public.
Can he lift Justice Owiny-Dollo to the negotiating table?
Mao acknowledged that he’s optimistic that it would occur provide that the opposing our bodies assume and build the country first and don’t witness at pushing the battle.
Justice Owiny-Dollo has personally equated the clash to a friendly fireside fight.
“Whether it’s between the judiciary and Law Society or all one of the best way by the law society. Or all one of the best way by the judiciary. All these are friendly fires. However who told you that a gun fired by a first rate friend doesn’t slay you? The bullet is no longer your good friend, the particular person that pulls the role off could per chance be your good friend,” he warned. He has equally acknowledged that he doesn’t personally retain grudges.
The Justice minister acknowledged that he became contemporary when the Chief Justice denied Ssemakadde target audience and that he had tried to be sure that Ssemakadde speaks.
“In my exclaim lack of consciousness, I attempted shuttle diplomacy. Most ceaselessly the President of Uganda Law Society has a slot focus on. We must accept that leadership is continuum and in college we learned relating to the number line. And all leaders fall someplace alongside the number line. And President Ssemakadde has someplace he falls alongside the number line” Mao acknowledged.
He acknowledged the standoff will were precipitated by roughly language that Isaac Ssemakadde uses in his pursuits for reforms in the bench.
”Which per my be taught is known as radical ruddiness. In other phrases using obscenities and insults as portion of his arsenal for combating for trade nonetheless be aware we’re facing folk that are excessive-ranking” he defined. Mao acknowledged his intervention is aimed toward guaranteeing that contributors of the Uganda law Society don’t turn out to be a victim of this fight.
“The institution has obtained to be accumulate in opposition to all odds. I don’t must convey many issues about this due to there are a vary of issues we’re doing in the backroom” he acknowledged. Contributors of the Uganda law Society contain acknowledged that the judges contain weaponized the contempt of court docket provisions like in the incident of Judge Musa Ssekaana price in opposition to Ssemakadde. Mao is f the learn about that contempt felony guidelines must no longer be aged or barely abused.
“The contempt law are for this man Arinaitwe who wished to strangle a attain to a resolution. That is the peak of contempt of court docket. We must exhibit that the judiciary in Uganda had no longer resorted to using the contempt procedures. I don’t know the way many case we’ve got in Uganda. I don’t thinks the attain ten”
The election of Isaac Ssemakadde to the lawyers’ physique became perceived by some as a exclaim of the younger lawyers in opposition to the older generation of lawyers. Nonetheless, one of the most principal points that Ssemakadde and his Radical Bar had been voiced by some senior counsels who’re officers of court docket.
Among the points raised by Ssemakadde were documented and presented to the Judiciary or contributors of by Senior Counsel, John Mary M Mugisha all one of the best way by the 25th annual judges’ conference held in February 2024. They ranged from the disrespect of court docket orders, case backlog and delayed writing and offer of judgments, notify interference and administrative letters contradicting court docket choices, the disposal of instances after higher than five years amongst others.
“Our predominant worry is that instances seize prolonged. To the extent that we’ll not stutter our potentialities. You can not predict when the case will commence and when this could additionally merely end. On the an identical time, you can not predict when it has commenced, whether or no longer the trial will likely be constant and when to position a query to the judgment,” Mugisha noticed. Top of Build Bottom of Build
***
URN
