The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo has issued a circular guiding prosecutors on implementing the Supreme Court’s judgment prohibiting the trial of civilians in military courts.
The January 31, 2025, judgment orders the immediate cessation of all ongoing and pending trials involving civilians and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) members subject to service law. These cases are to be transferred to ordinary courts of competent jurisdiction.
To facilitate this transition, the DPP has formed a team of prosecutors to review investigative files and take necessary action. The team’s composition has not been disclosed for security reasons.
Prosecutors have been instructed to seek guidance from the DPP for coordinated management of case files.
This development follows the Supreme Court’s ruling, led by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, that all pending or partially heard cases involving civilians before the General Court Martial must be transferred to civil courts with proper jurisdiction.
The government has expressed its readiness to comply, although President Yoweri Museveni has since expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling.
Several civilians, including National Unity Platform supporters, lawyer Eron Kiiza, and activists Dr. Kizza Besigye and Obed Lutaale, have filed applications in the High Court seeking unconditional release. They argue that their continued imprisonment is illegal, as they lack valid remand warrants, thus infringing on their constitutional rights.
