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
1,314 judgments

Court registries

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1,314 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

 

27 December 2024

Land law—customary tenure—inheritance rights of women—unregistered interests—father’s estate—co-ownership of ancestral land—fraudulent acquisition—leasehold—statutory limitation—burden of proof—equitable access—family burial grounds—costs

23 December 2024
20 December 2024
20 December 2024

 

20 December 2024
An appeal lacking a properly filed and presented memorandum under Order 43 is invalid and dismissed with costs.
Civil procedure – Appeal – Requirement of memorandum of appeal – Order 43 r(1), r(2) – Failure to present memorandum invalidates appeal; submissions filed without leave are irregular and insufficient – Appeal dismissed with costs.
20 December 2024
20 December 2024

 

19 December 2024

 

18 December 2024

 

18 December 2024

 

18 December 2024

 

18 December 2024

 

17 December 2024

Appeals—enlargement of time—Equal Opportunities Commission Act—jurisdiction—failure to seek leave—wrong procedure—Order 52 CPR—Section 29 Equal Opportunities Act—Civil Procedure Rules—statutory timelines—absence of rules—ordinary procedure applicable—dismissal of appeal—costs awarded

17 December 2024

 

16 December 2024

Criminal revision—Magistrates Courts Act—plea-taking irregularities—language interpretation—failure to explain charges—fair trial rights—equivocal plea—compensation order—imprisonment in default—civil transaction criminalization—abuse of process—proceedings quashed—conviction and sentence nullified—immediate release ordered.

16 December 2024

 

16 December 2024
13 December 2024
13 December 2024
13 December 2024
13 December 2024
13 December 2024

 

12 December 2024

 

11 December 2024
Applicant’s review of multiple judgments and execution dismissed for failure to show grounds and for lack of jurisdiction.
Civil procedure – Review jurisdiction under section 82 and Order 46 – limited to error apparent on record, new evidence, or sufficient cause; appeals dismissed for default – remedy is readmission under Order 43 rule 16 not review; jurisdictional competence – Magistrate’s Court decisions to be reviewed in Chief Magistrate’s Court; functus officio where appeal determined on merits; execution of taxed costs and attachment of land.
11 December 2024
Appellant failed to prove contempt of a temporary injunction; appeal dismissed after appellate re-evaluation of evidence.
Civil contempt — elements required (existence of order; knowledge; ability to comply; failure to comply) and intermediate standard of proof; validity of appeal without prior leave where order is not appealable as of right; appellate re-evaluation of misfiled affidavit in rejoinder.
11 December 2024
Applicant entitled to special certificate and vesting order after land registry misplaced title deeds.
Registration of Titles Act s.71 – issuance of special certificate where original title lost; ss.91–92 – transfer vests rights in transferee; s.151 – vesting/registration by Commissioner; lost title deeds by registry; locus of purchaser who paid consideration; court relief when Registrar reluctant to act.
11 December 2024
Corporate guarantor bound by guarantee; school chattels not mortgaged—detinue unproven without demand; bank’s counterclaim premature.
* Corporate guarantee – nature and effect – continuing and independent liability of guarantor; guarantor bound to pay on demand unless fraud or special equity proven. * Mortgage law – mortgagee’s right to take possession and sell mortgaged land under Mortgage Act; possession may be taken with reasonable force and sale to recover debt. * Movables and chattels – distinction between mortgaged land/developments and movable school assets; valuation and inventory essential to show sale of chattels. * Detinue – essential requirement of demand for return; absence of written demand defeats detinue claim. * Counterclaim – lender’s claim for outstanding loan premature where foreclosure remedies not exhausted and sale proceeds/accounting not established.
11 December 2024
Sale set aside for non-compliance with statutory mortgage auction procedures; valuation and purchaser-capacity claims unproven.
Mortgage law – foreclosure and realization of security – mandatory service of notices, statutory auction procedure and licensed auctioneer – valuation requirements – payment of deposit at fall of hammer – purchaser capacity and foreign ownership – remedies where sale irregular but borrower defaulted.
11 December 2024
Interlocutory judgment set aside and leave to file defence granted due to ineffective service and counsel's negligence.
Civil procedure — extension of time to file defence (Order 9 r12) — 'sufficient cause' — Service on corporations (Order 29 r2) — effectiveness of service on external counsel — negligence of counsel not imputed to deny hearing — access to justice and preference for merits over technicalities.
11 December 2024
Slip rule applied to correct clerical omission and amend grant to include applicant as administratrix.
* Civil Procedure – Slip rule (section 99 CPA) – correction of clerical or accidental omissions in judgments, decrees or grants. * Probate – grant of letters of administration – omission of administrator's name – amendment of grant under slip rule. * Standard for correction – error apparent on face of record; correction must not alter substance or amount to an appeal. * Relief – issuance of amended grant; no order as to costs.
11 December 2024
Joint letters of administration rendered inoperative by a co-administrator's death were revoked and fresh grant issued to the surviving administrator.
Succession law – Revocation of letters of administration – Joint grants – Death of a co-administrator rendering a grant inoperative; power to revoke and regrant to surviving administrator; duty to ensure due administration and protection of beneficiaries.
11 December 2024
Land recovery claim dismissed as time‑barred and unsupported by evidence; plaintiff lacked cause of action and locus standi.
* Limitation of actions – recovery of land – 12‑year period under section 5 – accrual from dispossession; exceptions under section 25 for fraud/mistake and requirement to plead and prove discovery. * Civil procedure – requirement under Order 7 rule 6 to plead grounds of exemption from limitation. * Evidence – burden to prove title and succession by credible documentary/oral evidence; hearsay insufficient. * Locus standi and cause of action – need for sufficient interest and factual link to title.
11 December 2024
Applicant's judicial review dismissed: reinstatements followed Ministry guidance and applicant failed to prove unlawful or improper appointments.
Judicial review – locus standi; amenability of administrative action to judicial review; exhaustion of internal remedies; Public Service Standing Orders (retirement on abolition of office) and requirement for Permanent Secretary clearance; reinstatement and transfer of public officers following administrative irregularities and Ministry guidance; burden to prove lack of qualifications and procedural impropriety; prerogative remedies dismissed for failure to establish illegality, irrationality or unfair procedure.
11 December 2024
The applicant’s amicus application was rejected for bias and for attempting to introduce new evidence.
Amicus Curiae – Admission – requirements under Judicature (Amicus Curiae) Rules 2022; neutrality and impartiality; demonstrable expertise; prohibition on introducing new evidence; conflict of interest where applicant is beneficiary/party.
11 December 2024
Amicus curiae application denied where applicant, a former kingdom official, was partisan and sought to introduce new evidence.
Amicus curiae – admission – Judicature (Amicus Curiae) Rules 2022 – Rule 5 criteria (neutrality, expertise, novelty, public interest) – refusal where applicant is partisan, a former official/beneficiary of a party and seeks to introduce new evidence – court’s discretion.
11 December 2024

 

11 December 2024

 

11 December 2024

 

10 December 2024

 

10 December 2024

Review application—Civil Procedure Act—unconsented suit filing—advocate’s duty—lack of instructions—costs liability—error on record—discovery of new evidence—public interest litigation—authority to act—advocate’s misconduct—costs to affected parties—court’s inherent jurisdiction—disciplining officers—procedural fairness—client grievance—legal remedy.

9 December 2024

 

9 December 2024

 

9 December 2024