The Uganda Law Society (ULS), under the leadership of its President, Senior Counsel Isaac K. Ssemakadde, has declared Chief Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija a “Global Judicial Pariah” and directed lawyers across the country to boycott his planned November 21 thanksgiving ceremony in Rukungiri District.
In a strongly worded executive directive, Ssemakadde accused the Chief Justice’s leadership of undermining judicial independence, raising concerns about the administration of justice, protection of human rights and the Judiciary’s relationship with the Executive.
The ULS cited alleged interference in court processes, prolonged detention of political prisoners, unresolved human rights concern and what it described as the failure of the Judiciary’s leadership to adequately defend the institution following President Yoweri Museveni’s July 4 remarks against the Judiciary.
The Society argued that the concerns raise questions about the Judiciary’s constitutional responsibility to protect the rule of law, safeguard fundamental rights and dispense justice without political interference.
Ssemakadde also criticised the planned thanksgiving ceremony, describing it as an unnecessary diversion of judicial time and public resources at a time when courts continue to grapple with case backlogs and demands for improved access to justice.
He argued that the Judiciary should prioritise its constitutional mandate of delivering timely and impartial justice rather than committing resources to celebratory activities.
Under the directive, lawyers have been instructed not to attend, sponsor or publicly endorse the November 21 event.
The ULS has also announced plans to launch an international protest letter campaign aimed at drawing attention to the concerns surrounding judicial independence and demanding accountability from the Judiciary’s leadership.
The ULS, under Ssemakadde’s leadership, has previously organised boycotts of judicial events, including the July 2025 thanksgiving ceremony of former Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo in Patongo, Agago District.
At the time, the Society raised concerns about the allocation of public resources, judicial accountability and developments within the Court of Appeal.
The latest dispute places Chief Justice Zeija at the centre of renewed debate about the independence of Uganda’s Judiciary and the responsibility of legal institutions to uphold constitutional principles.
The controversy is also likely to draw attention from the wider legal fraternity and international human rights organisations as the November 21 ceremony approaches.
By Our Reporter
2nd Nov 2026
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