By The President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Isaac K. Ssemakadde, has formally rejected his appointment to the Judiciary’s Law Reform Committee, citing what he describes as entrenched judicial misconduct and systemic corruption under the leadership of Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo.
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In a strongly worded letter and accompanying press statement, Ssemakadde said he cannot accept the role while still facing an unresolved contempt of court committal order issued by Justice Musa Ssekaana in February 2025. The order, which Ssemakadde says stems from comments he made on X (formerly Twitter), remains unexpunged and has effectively exiled him from court proceedings.
He described the order as “manifestly void” and accused Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo of turning a blind eye to “egregious judicial misconduct,” thus undermining public confidence in the Judiciary. “Your legacy is justice denied through delay,” Ssemakadde wrote, referencing a backlog of thousands of cases and citing the ULS Masaka Chapter’s ongoing strike over poor judicial staffing.
Ssemakadde called for urgent reform of the law on contempt of court specifically the offense of “scandalizing the judiciary” which he labeled a colonial-era tool of repression against free speech. Quoting British judge Lord Justice Simon Brown, he argued that “citizen insults of judicial officers should warrant no more than a wry smile.”
He also pointed to a 2021 Inspectorate of Government report which found that Ugandan court users paid UGX 763 billion in bribes 43% of the justice sector’s 2019 budget as evidence of a deeply compromised system.
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Rather than accepting the appointment, Ssemakadde has recommended that ULS Vice President Anthony Asimwe take his place on the committee. “I have full confidence in his abilities,” he noted.
The rejection marks a new low in relations between the Judiciary and the Radical New Bar, which Ssemakadde leads. Tensions flared earlier this year after the Chief Justice barred Ssemakadde from addressing the New Law Year gathering and demanded a public apology from the ULS.
Despite the backlash, Ssemakadde reiterated his commitment to judicial accountability and transparent law reform. “This is our call to action,” he concluded.
