Uganda Law Society (ULS) President Isaac Ssemakadde has described the organisation’s 2026 report as a stark reflection of the country’s deteriorating rule of law, citing concerns over militarisation of justice, executive overreach and restrictions on citizens’ rights.
Ssemakadde said the report confirms longstanding concerns within the legal profession about the state of justice in Uganda, arguing that lawyers must take a more assertive role in defending constitutional rights and judicial independence.
“The 2026 Uganda Law Society report is not just a document; it is a mirror held up to our nation,” Ssemakadde said.
According to the ULS president, the findings provide the basis for what he described as the “Radical New Bar”, a reform agenda aimed at challenging practices and structures that he believes undermine equality within Uganda’s justice system.
Ssemakadde pointed to recent changes in courtroom culture, including the abolition of what he called colonial-era practices such as archaic honorifics and bowing.
He argued that such traditions should not define interactions within modern courts, which he said should instead provide spaces where citizens are treated as equals.
“These small symbols mask a system plagued by deep-seated issues — judicial corruption, executive overreach, and the illegal trial of civilians in military tribunals,” he said.
His remarks come amid continued debate in Uganda over the role of military courts in handling cases involving civilians and concerns about the independence of judicial institutions.
Ssemakadde also raised concerns over access to justice, saying the cost and availability of legal services continue to prevent many Ugandans from effectively pursuing their rights through the courts.
He called for sustainable government funding for legal aid programmes and greater independence for institutions responsible for providing legal assistance to disadvantaged citizens.
The ULS president further urged the revival of national pro bono days, saying the initiative would strengthen lawyers’ commitment to providing services to people who cannot afford legal representation.
He said the report should not merely serve as a record of challenges facing Uganda’s justice system but should instead trigger concrete reforms.
“This report is a call to action,” Ssemakadde said, describing the legal profession’s resistance to injustice as its “irreducible power”.
He maintained that lawyers should not legitimise practices they consider unconstitutional or inconsistent with human rights.
“We will not be silenced,” Ssemakadde said, signalling the ULS leadership’s intention to continue pressing for reforms in the judiciary, legal aid sector and broader justice system.
The remarks place the ULS at the centre of an increasingly prominent debate over judicial independence, accountability and the protection of civil liberties in Uganda.