High Court of Uganda

The High Court of Uganda is the third court of record in order of hierarchy and has unlimited original jurisdiction, which means that it can try any case of any value or crime of any magnitude. Appeals from all Magistrates Courts go to the High Court. 

The High Court is headed by the Honorable Principal Judge who is responsible for the administration of the court and has supervisory powers over Magistrate's courts. 

Physical address
Plot 2, the Square Kampala
90 judgments

Court registries

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90 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 1995
Plaintiff proved detinue of vehicle seized by soldiers; State held vicariously liable and ordered damages, interest, and costs.
Detinue — wrongful detention of vehicle seized by soldiers; equitable ownership where purchaser paid but registration not transferred; seizure during military operation — course of employment; vicarious liability of State; assessment of market value at judgment; exemplary damages discretionary and refused where conduct not oppressive; interest and costs awarded.
22 December 1995
High Court revises illegal sentence not compliant with TRSA '70, orders fine reduction and refund of excess amount.
Criminal Law – Sentencing – Legality of Sentence – Offence under section 113(1)(a) of TRSA '70 – Compliance with statutory penalty provisions.
19 December 1995

 

19 December 1995

 

19 December 1995

 

18 December 1995

 

18 December 1995

 

18 December 1995
Magistrates must follow proper plea procedure and statutory guidelines on sentencing for default of fine payment.
Criminal Procedure – Guilty plea procedure – Adequate facts must be stated against the accused – Sentencing – Non-compliance with default sentence provisions of Magistrates Courts Act.
18 December 1995
Civil Procedure
6 December 1995
Civil Procedure|Contract Law|Breach of Contract|Mortgage, loans and bonds
5 December 1995
November 1995
Criminal law
30 November 1995
Criminal law
28 November 1995
Criminal law
28 November 1995
Letters of administration revoked for failure to exhibit accounts and mismanagement; new administrators appointed and defendants ordered to account.
Succession law – Revocation of letters of administration – Just cause under s.233(2) – Failure to exhibit inventory/account as required by s.280 – Grant become useless/inoperative – Mismanagement and disposal of estate assets – Appointment of new administrators – Order to account and deposit letters.
24 November 1995
The plaintiff proved liability under res ipsa loquitur and was awarded Shs.1.5 million plus costs and interest.
* Motor-vehicle accident – pedestrian struck by vehicle – defendant in default – res ipsa loquitur and liability established. * Assessment of general damages – head injury, large facial scar, unconsciousness, prolonged hospitalisation, recurrent headaches, loss of education and future prospects. * Award of general damages, costs and interest.
20 November 1995
Civil Procedure|Res Judicata
19 November 1995
Court cancelled special certificate and reinstated the plaintiff as registered proprietor, ordering eviction for fraudulent transfer.
* Land law – Registered title – Protection of registered proprietor under the Registration of Titles Act – cancellation of special certificate procured without adequate proof. * Land transactions – bona fide purchaser for value – onus to produce original sale agreement, vendor identity and witnesses. * Rectification of register – Registrar of Titles ordered to cancel special certificate and reinstate prior registered proprietor. * Eviction – order for purchaser’s eviction where title irregularly transferred.
17 November 1995
Contract Law|Breach of Contract|Formation and validity of Contract|Land
15 November 1995
A court upheld Amin-era vesting and management of expropriated property and validated a bank encumbrance created by appointed managers, dismissing the plaintiff's claims.
Expropriation law – Amin-era decrees and Expropriated Properties Act 1982 – vesting of abandoned/ascribed assets; Government-appointed management – authority to borrow and create encumbrances; validity of bank mortgage/caveat created by state-appointed managers; remedies of former owners against lenders and State under the Expropriated Properties Act.
14 November 1995
Criminal law
8 November 1995
Plaintiff's trespass claim failed because defendant's earlier-registered title established ownership; suit dismissed with costs.
Property law — title disputes — competing registered titles; evidence and priority of registration; allegations of fraud in procurement of certificate of title; trespass claims require ownership proved on a balance of probabilities.
3 November 1995
Property Law|Land|Land Dispute
3 November 1995
October 1995
Civil Procedure
30 October 1995
Criminal law|Evidence Law
27 October 1995
Criminal law|Evidence Law|Burden of Proof|Evaluation of Evidence
20 October 1995
Owner held vicariously liable for servant-driver’s negligent overtaking; plaintiff awarded special and general damages.
Negligence – unsafe overtaking on a hill/curve; vicarious liability of owner for servant-driver; proof of ownership despite non-registration; quantum of special and general damages; failure to prove contributory negligence.
18 October 1995
Civil Procedure|Powers of the court|Inherent Powers of The Court
18 October 1995
Company Law|Corporate Veil|Labour and Employment Law|Terminal Benefits
12 October 1995
Civil Procedure
5 October 1995
Court validated late debenture registration under s.102, deeming certificate effective while preserving intervening third‑party rights.
Companies Act – registration of charges – section 96(1) requirement to register debenture within 42 days; section 102 remedial power to extend time or rectify omissions where omission accidental or inadvertent; validity of Registrar’s certificate; protection of intervening third‑party rights; receivers’ entitlement to declaratory relief.
4 October 1995
September 1995
Criminal law|Burden of Proof
27 September 1995
Proved aggravated robbery but unreliable night-time identification led to acquittal of the accused.
* Criminal law – Aggravated robbery – elements: theft, violence and use or threat of a deadly weapon. * Evidence – Identification – caution required for single-witness/night-time identification; alibi not destroyed. * Burden of proof – prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
20 September 1995
Accused acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter where malice aforethought was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.
* Criminal law – Murder – Elements: unlawful killing, identity of killer, and malice aforethought – burden on prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt. * Circumstantial evidence – must exclude reasonable alternative explanations and co‑existing factors – Simon Musoke principle. * Confession/evidence conflict – where medical and accused’s accounts disagree it may be unsafe to convict for murder. * Intoxication and provocation – may negate malice aforethought and reduce liability to manslaughter. * Manslaughter – appropriate verdict where intent to kill not proved.
20 September 1995

 

15 September 1995
Conviction for defilement based on witness testimony and circumstantial evidence, rejecting absence of medical proof and defense claims.
Criminal Law - Defilement - Proof of guilt based on circumstantial evidence - Lack of direct testimony - Irresistible impulse as a defense.
7 September 1995
Where the complainant's absence leaves only suspicion, a submission of no case to answer must be upheld and the accused acquitted.
* Criminal law – Defilement – Whether prosecution made out a prima facie case to put accused to answer – Submission of no case to answer. * Evidence – Absence of complainant’s testimony – failure to connect accused to offence. * Principle – Suspicion alone insufficient to convict (Israil Epuka s/o Achietu v R). * Procedure – Application of R.T. Bhatt v R test for no-case submissions. * Order – Acquittal under section 71(1) TID where no case to answer is established.
1 September 1995
Accused convicted of defilement based on medical evidence, an admission, and corroborative circumstantial proof despite child’s inability to testify.
* Criminal law – Defilement (s.123(1) Penal Code) – elements: unlawful sexual intercourse and victim under 18 years. * Evidence – Medical opinion and witness observations as proof of sexual intercourse where complainant is too young to testify. * Evidence – Circumstantial evidence and its requirement to point only to the accused (Simon Musoke). * Evidence – Admissibility and weight of an extra‑judicial admission (distinguished as admission, not full confession) and corroboration by accused’s conduct (attempt to flee). * Procedure – Child’s incompetence to testify does not bar conviction if other reliable evidence proves the offence.
1 September 1995
August 1995
A company need not always produce a board resolution to commence proceedings; authority may be proved on evidence.
Company law – capacity to sue – board resolution not always required; authority may be shown by other means depending on company constitution; Civil procedure – notice of motion is a 'suit' under s.2 CPA; preliminary objection based on authority may be premature on interlocutory hearing; unpleaded offers to deposit money should not be relied on; Order 33 judgment applications require formal procedure.
30 August 1995
Officials acting for a school cannot be sued personally for trespass absent evidence of personal trespass or benefit.
* Tort — Trespass to land — completion on entry — distinction between personal trespass and acts done in official/institutional capacity; * Civil procedure — parties — suing public/institutional officers in personal vs official capacity; * Remedies — impracticability of ordering demolition against former office-holders; * Proper defendants for relief affecting school property — institution/board or officers in official capacity.
30 August 1995
Appellate court upholds attempted theft conviction but quashes false‑information conviction due to unresolved evidential contradiction.
Criminal law – attempted theft – sufficiency of evidence despite miscalculation of exact sums; False reporting to police – contradictions on why cheque bounced require resolution; Handwriting expert evidence – admissible where author admits writing document; Appeal – interference with sentence only where manifestly harsh.
25 August 1995

 

18 August 1995
Prosecution failed to prove a deadly-weapon threat or accused's participation; accused acquitted and exhibits returned.
Criminal law – Robbery: elements of aggravated robbery (theft, violence, threat/use of deadly weapon) – Hearsay and deceased victim’s statement – Identification and contradictory eyewitness evidence – Burden of proof and reasonable doubt – Return of exhibits to accused.
15 August 1995
July 1995
Court convicts and sentences accused for defiling a minor, with corroborated testimony and medical evidence outweighing retracted confession.
Criminal Law – Defilement – elements of proof – admissibility of retracted confession – age determination of a minor.
12 July 1995
State held liable for NRA soldiers’ seizure of plaintiff’s lorry; replacement value and loss of earnings awarded.
Detinue/conversion – proof of ownership and possession – seizure and commandeering of vehicle by soldiers – State liability for torts of soldiers proximate to and incidental to assumption of power – assessment of replacement value and loss of earnings in detinue.
11 July 1995
Court convicts and sentences accused to 11 years for rape based on credible identification and lack of consent.
Criminal law – Rape – Elements of penetration and lack of consent – Identification of the accused – Alibi defense.
7 July 1995

 

7 July 1995

 

6 July 1995

 

6 July 1995
The accused was acquitted of defilement due to lack of corroborative evidence in a child's testimony.
Criminal Law – Defilement - Conviction on unsworn statement of child - Requirements for corroborative evidence.
5 July 1995
Insufficient evidence led to the acquittal of an accused in a defilement case involving a minor.
Criminal law – Defilement – Proof of age and sexual intercourse – Corroboration of complainant's testimony – Alibi defense.
3 July 1995