Uganda Law Society (ULS) condemns disrespect of rule of law

Story by Mike Sebalu
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) vice chairperson, Anthony Asiimwe, has condemned the prevailing situations of disrespect of the rule of law and court orders he said risk the return to the dark days of the Past.
Speaking to greater Masaka lawyers at Masaka High Court as a kick start of the week-long activities to mark their 16th annual rule of law week, Asiimwe further called upon different stakeholders to respect court orders and urged the judiciary to come strong on those who disobey court orders.
“The moment the public loses trust in this process, we shall all be affected,” Asiimwe said.
He also emphasized the importance of an independent judiciary and warned against taking the law into one’s hands.
In other activities to mark this year’s annual rule of law week, there is the remembrance of Sam Kalega Njuba, a past president of the society and an icon of the rule of law.
A memorial lecture has been scheduled for 18th September 2025, with Hon Justice Fredrick Martin Stephen Egonda-Ntende as the keynote speaker.
However, this will come after their 17th general meeting on Wednesday, 17th September at Imperial Royal Hotel.
This year’s event began on September 15th and will run until September 19th, 2025, under the theme, “Strengthening the rule of law through Collective responsibility for Peace, Democracy and Development.”
The deputy registrar, Masaka High Court, HW Lie Karungi, emphasized the importance of working together with legal aid and the bar to achieve justice needs, including reducing the case backlog.
“The ULS had chosen Masaka due to the many issues the district faces, including a backlog of over 5,000 cases with only one judge and one registrar,” she said
The Judiciary has been actively working to address the issue of case backlogs across all circuits in Uganda.
In 2025, notable efforts that involved increased criminal sessions, the use of mediation, and the development of work plans by High Court circuit heads to improve case clearance rates were initiated.

Written by Benjamin Ntalo