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
189 judgments

Court registries

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189 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
February 2024
29 February 2024
20 February 2024
20 February 2024
1 February 2024
1 February 2024
1 February 2024
January 2024
25 January 2024
25 January 2024
25 January 2024
25 January 2024
25 January 2024
23 January 2024
23 January 2024
23 January 2024
12 January 2024
12 January 2024
12 January 2024
12 January 2024
12 January 2024
12 January 2024
12 January 2024
December 2023
21 December 2023
20 December 2023
8 December 2023
November 2023
Plaintiff failed to prove title or fraud; suit dismissed and prior default judgment set aside.
Civil procedure – default judgment – O.9 r.6 CPR applicable to liquidated demands; inappropriate default judgment set aside and replaced by O.9 r.10 order.* Evidence – burden and standard of proof – fraud allegations require strict proof and primary documentary evidence.* Land law – title dispute – necessity to prove chain of title and locus standi to challenge estate administration.
29 November 2023
Defendant breached subcontracts by failing to pay for approved works; plaintiff awarded damages, interest and costs.
Contract law – breach of subcontract – failure to pay for approved works. Evidence – party asserting materials supplied or payments advanced must prove them; documents not properly tendered are inadmissible. Civil procedure – effect of partial consent settlement as binding and entitling party to decree. Remedies – assessment of special and general damages, interest and costs.
17 November 2023
The court held taxation rules applicable are those in force when the costs order was made, not when the bill was filed.
Civil procedure — Taxation of costs — Temporal application of taxation rules — Liability to pay costs accrues on date of costs order — Regulations in force when order made govern taxation; amendment regulations not retrospective.
10 November 2023
Written sale agreement held conclusive; respondent failed to prove mortgage, appellant entitled to repayment or vacant possession.
Land law – Sale v mortgage – written sale agreement as primary evidence – onus to prove mortgage – parol evidence and S.91 Evidence Act – illiteracy defence – failure to produce bank records – remedies: refund with interest or delivery of vacant possession.
10 November 2023
Failure to pay prior adequate compensation for compulsorily acquired land violated the plaintiff's constitutional right; district valuer's valuation awarded.
Constitutional law – property rights – compulsory acquisition – prior payment of fair and adequate compensation (Article 26(2)). Eminent domain/land law – valuation – acceptance of District Valuer’s market valuation where unchallenged. Civil procedure – failure to file witness statements/evidence; ex parte proof and consequence. Evidence – burden of proof on party alleging facts; alleged adverse claim must be proved to defeat compensation. Remedies – compensation, general damages, costs and statutory interest.
3 November 2023
Appeal dismissed: Registrar’s locus visit cured defect; evasive defence rejected; omnibus damages award set aside and UGX 20,000,000 substituted.
Land law – trespass and declaration of ownership; procedure – locus in quo: Registrar’s visit can cure trial defect; pleadings – O.6 r.10 CPR: evasive denials and O.6 r.7 CPR: departures from pleadings inadmissible; damages – unpleaded profits cannot be awarded; general damages may be awarded if evidence was led.
3 November 2023
Appellate court upheld respondent's title, cured locus defect, and substituted vague general damages with UGX 5,400,000.
Land law – title by purchase – credibility of documentary evidence; Civil procedure – locus in quo inspection by Registrar to cure procedural defect; Appellate review – duty to re-evaluate evidence but not to disturb trial court absent misdirection; Appeals – general/unspecific grounds offending O.43 rr.1–2 CPR; Damages – vagueness in general damages awards and substitution with specific sum to facilitate execution.
3 November 2023
The applicant failed to prove adverse possession; the respondent's registered title was upheld and the appeal dismissed.
Land law – ownership dispute between kibanja (customary/unregistered) and registered title; Adverse possession – continuous exclusive possession required; Certificate of title – conclusive absent pleaded fraud; Limitation – trespass as continuing tort; Locus in quo – appellate visit can cure trial omissions.
3 November 2023
October 2023
First appellate court upholds compensation and general damages but sets aside unpleaded special damages.
Civil appeal — limitation — computation of appeal time when certified record not shown to have been availed; pleading effect — parties bound by written pleadings; vicarious liability — employer liable for employee’s impoundment of livestock resulting in loss; evidence — unreliable witness and weight of expert (veterinary) market-value evidence; damages — necessity to plead and strictly prove special damages; general damages at court’s discretion.
30 October 2023
September 2023
Appellant failed to prove title; demarcation and possession established respondents' land; appeal dismissed with costs.
Land law – evidential burden in ownership disputes – purchaser must prove the specific parcel bought; admissibility and weight of translated purchase agreements; weight of local authority demarcations and locus findings in boundary disputes; possession as evidence against trespass claims.
29 September 2023
May 2023
Court found plaintiffs held customary title; land fraudulently registered; titles cancelled; purchasers not bona fide; damages awarded.
Land law – customary tenure proved by purchase and continued use – fraudulent procurement of title through a fictitious company and coercion – bona fide purchaser for value without notice doctrine: need for vendor to have apparent valid title and for purchaser to have performed due diligence – cancellation of title, eviction, damages and costs ordered.
17 May 2023
February 2023
15 February 2023
November 2022
Divorce granted for desertion and cruelty with equitable division of matrimonial property and joint account split.
Family law – Divorce – Grounds: desertion and cruelty established; adultery not proved – Irretrievable breakdown of marriage – Matrimonial property identification and equitable distribution – Joint bank account split – Personal property vs family property – No custody or alimony orders where not claimed.
30 November 2022
January 2022
17 January 2022
December 2021
High Court jurisdiction not ousted by Section 139(2); compensation and human-rights claims may proceed to court.
• Constitutional law – High Court unlimited original jurisdiction (Art.139) – statutory remedies do not oust jurisdiction unless expressly stated. • Petroleum law – Compensation for disturbance of rights – Section 139(2) permits Chief Government Valuer review but does not bar court proceedings. • Human rights – enforcement of rights to livelihood, life and protection from deprivation of property actionable in High Court.
21 December 2021