KAMPALA — The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has issued a formal protest note to the top leadership of the judiciary, demanding the immediate cancellation of a Mobile High Court session scheduled to take place at the Ggaba Community Church grounds.
The protest concerns Criminal Case No. 0132 of 2026 (Uganda v. Christopher Okello Onyum). In a letter dated April 13, 2026, addressed to the Hon. Chief Justice, the Principal Judge, and Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, the ULS expressed “grave concerns” regarding the legality and location of the trial.
Breach of Constitutional Procedure
The Society, through Vice President Asiimwe Anthony, argues that the mobile court session at a church ground violates the Constitution, the Judicature Act, and established Rules of Procedure.
“The trial must proceed at the designated High Court premises in Kampala,” the protest note reads. The ULS contends that holding a High Court session in an unconventional, religious setting undermines: Judicial Independence, The neutrality of the court, Due Process: The standardised environment required for fair trials and Separation of Powers: The distinct boundary between the state’s judicial functions and community/religious spaces.
Urgent Call for Meeting
With the session scheduled to commence today, the ULS has labelled the matter one of “utmost constitutional urgency.” The lawyers are seeking an emergency meeting—either physical or virtual—with judicial leadership today or tomorrow to address what they describe as a threat to the Bar’s standards.
The petition has also been copied to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the defense counsel for the accused, highlighting a unified concern within the legal community.
