The High Court in Kampala has halted the criminal case against Uganda Law Society president Isaac Ssemakadde, ruling that the matter raises serious concerns about potential rights violations and malicious prosecution.
Justice Paul Gadenya of the Criminal Division issued the stay of proceedings, pausing the case pending the court’s decision on Ssemakadde’s application to quash the charges brought against him by private prosecutors.
Ssemakadde faces allegations of insulting the modesty of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo.
The accusations stem from a November 2024 symposium where Ssemakadde allegedly made obscene remarks about the DPP—remarks the complainants, private lawyers Joshua Byamazima and Tonny Tumukunde, say amounted to criminal insult.
The case had been proceeding in Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, which issued a warrant of arrest for Ssemakadde after he defied multiple summons. But the High Court’s ruling now suspends further action until the legality of the charges is fully examined.
Justice Gadenya emphasized the need to protect constitutional rights, particularly liberty.
“The applicant emphasizes maintaining the status quo until the revision application is resolved,” he stated. “This argument underscores the need to prevent the potential violation of the applicant’s right to liberty.”
Despite the prosecutors’ concerns about delay and the need for judicial efficiency, the judge concluded that Ssemakadde’s potential harm outweighed the inconvenience to the state. “The respondents’ claims of harm do not carry the same immediacy or risk of damage compared to the applicant’s concerns,” Gadenya added.
The judge directed that written submissions in the main application be filed by May 7, 2025, after which judgment will be delivered.
The controversial case has attracted significant public attention, not only for its content but also due to Ssemakadde’s high-profile status in Uganda’s legal fraternity. He has consistently criticized judicial leadership and remained defiant, even after a prior arrest warrant was issued earlier this year.
In February 2025, he was sentenced to two years in jail by then Civil Division Judge Musa Ssekaana for contempt of court after criticizing the judge’s decision to block an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Uganda Law Society.
That conviction was widely condemned by civil society and legal analysts, many of whom questioned Ssekaana’s impartiality due to past clashes with Ssemakadde.
Ssemakadde has since remained out of the public eye, only occasionally surfacing on social media to comment on legal and political issues. His legal team has not disclosed his whereabouts.
The charges brought by Byamazima and Tumukunde accuse Ssemakadde of using vulgar and demeaning language, allegedly referring to DPP Abodo as “a vagina from Karamoja” and calling her “dead wood” and “a pumpkin for a DPP.”
The case has stirred debate over the boundaries between free speech, judicial criticism, and criminal defamation.
Human rights defenders argue that prosecuting lawyers for such statements could set a dangerous precedent and chill dissent within the legal community.
For now, the High Court’s stay has shifted the battle from Buganda Road to a broader legal and constitutional showdown.
As the May deadline approaches, all eyes remain on how the court will rule on Ssemakadde’s application to throw out the case entirely.
