News
Law Society executive sued for overstaying in office
Under the ULS Act, the president serves a strict one-year term, although a sitting president may be re-elected for a second and final one-year term.
Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac Ssemakadde. (File photo)
By: Farooq Kasule, Journalist @New Vision
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A group of lawyers has sued Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac Ssemakadde and members of the ULS council for overstaying in office and failing to organise elections.
Under the ULS Act, the president serves a strict one-year term, although a sitting president may be re-elected for a second and final one-year term.
In an application lodged at the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala, counsel Henry Byansi and Godfrey Abasa are seeking a declaration that the group's term of office has lapsed.
The duo wants the court to declare that the group is no longer entitled to hold the offices they currently occupy. They also want a permanent injunction issued to stop them from continuing to hold the offices.
Byansi and Abasa are also seeking a declaration that the offices currently occupied by members of the ULS executive are vacant.
They want the court to issue an order compelling the executive to organise elections within 60 days from the date of the court ruling if the application is granted.
The court is yet to fix the application for hearing.
Ssemakadde and the group were elected in September 2024. However, they later became divided after Philip Munabi and Geoffrey Tumusiime were expelled by the ULS council led by Ssemakadde over what the council described as an attempted coup against his presidency.
They want the court to issue an order compelling the executive to organise elections within 60 days from the date of the court ruling if the application is granted.
The court is yet to fix the application for hearing.
Ssemakadde and the group were elected in September 2024. However, they later became divided after Philip Munabi and Geoffrey Tumusiime were expelled by the ULS council led by Ssemakadde over what the council described as an attempted coup against his presidency.
The matter was taken to court, which ordered the reinstatement of Munabi and Turyamusiima. However, Ssemakadde chose to appeal. The appeal is yet to be heard.
Counsel Ssali Babu was subsequently appointed interim secretary of the ULS, while Turyamusiima, who represented the central region, was replaced by Alexander Lule. Some ULS members argue that the changes were illegal and in contempt of court after the court issued a temporary injunction against their removal from office.
Ssemakadde went into exile after Justice Musa Ssekaana sentenced him to two years in jail for contempt of court last year.
Lawyers Tonny Tumukunde and Joshua Byamazima had also opened criminal charges against him, accusing him of insulting the modesty of a woman over what they described as derogatory remarks towards the then Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo.
Because of the leadership row, ULS is yet to elect its two representatives to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), a constitutional body charged with the appointment and disciplining of judicial officers in the country.
Meanwhile, some lawyers, including Ahmed Kalule Mukasa, have expressed interest in running for the ULS presidency.
Counsel Ssali Babu was subsequently appointed interim secretary of the ULS, while Turyamusiima, who represented the central region, was replaced by Alexander Lule. Some ULS members argue that the changes were illegal and in contempt of court after the court issued a temporary injunction against their removal from office.
Ssemakadde went into exile after Justice Musa Ssekaana sentenced him to two years in jail for contempt of court last year.
Lawyers Tonny Tumukunde and Joshua Byamazima had also opened criminal charges against him, accusing him of insulting the modesty of a woman over what they described as derogatory remarks towards the then Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo.
Because of the leadership row, ULS is yet to elect its two representatives to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), a constitutional body charged with the appointment and disciplining of judicial officers in the country.
Meanwhile, some lawyers, including Ahmed Kalule Mukasa, have expressed interest in running for the ULS presidency.