HC: Civil Division (Uganda)

The Civil Division is a division of the high court. It's functions include: Hearing appeal cases from the Magistrates' courts in connection with torts committed against the person, Defamation, Bankruptcy and company winding up matters, Partnership matters,Companies matters, Real and personal property.

Physical address
Twed towers, along Kafu Road, Nakasero.
17 judgments
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17 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 2022
Court ordered arbitrator appointment and temporary hold of disputed cooperative compensation pending arbitration.
Cooperative Societies Act s73 – disputes between members/personal representatives and society; arbitration mandatory; Regulation 48 – lodging arbitral disputes; Arbitration and Conciliation Act s6 – court interim measures pending arbitration; appointing authority duty to appoint arbitrator; interim hold of decretal funds by advocates pending arbitration.
16 December 2022
16 December 2022
A magistrate cannot use s.99 to reverse a pronounced ruling; the original ruling releasing attached property is confirmed.
Civil Procedure Act s.83 revision; s.99 correction limited to clerical/accidental errors; functus officio doctrine; Order 21 r.3(1) — pronouncement and signing of judgments; unlawful reversal of pronounced rulings; attachment and release of property.
14 December 2022
The applicant’s brokerage agreement for recovery of government award was contrary to public policy and void; claim dismissed with costs.
Contract law – Champerty/maintenance – brokerage agreements to recover government awards – public policy and unenforceability; Contract law – time of the essence – failure to perform by agreed date renders contract void; Misrepresentation – vitiation and rescission under Contracts Act 2010; Remedies – dismissal of claim and costs.
14 December 2022
Public interest challenges to executive decisions must be brought in the Constitutional Court, not as individual rights enforcement in the High Court.
Human rights enforcement – distinction between individual enforcement and public interest litigation; Jurisdiction – Rule 7(2) requires public interest actions under Rule 5(1)(d) to be filed in the Constitutional Court; Abuse of process – cannot reframe administrative/judicial review matters as individual rights enforcement to circumvent procedure; Judicial review vs constitutional enforcement – proper forum and procedure.
14 December 2022
Application dismissed as moot after Court of Appeal nullified the prosecution for rights violations.
Judicial review – challenge to decision to charge for money laundering – allegations of irrationality, ultra vires conduct and procedural unfairness Human rights – allegations of torture and violation of non-derogable rights affecting validity of prosecution Criminal procedure – nullification and stay of prosecution by Court of Appeal Doctrine of precedent – stare decisis and mootness/overtaken-by-events
14 December 2022
Renovation agreement voidable for fraud; plaintiff awarded UGX 671,187,680 special and UGX 30,000,000 general damages, directors personally liable.
Contracts — Fraud and misrepresentation — Concealment of insurance — Voidable renovation agreement; Unjust enrichment; Breach of contract; Remedies — special and general damages; Interest; Lifting corporate veil — directors held personally liable for fraud.
14 December 2022
Administrator may verify and reject suspicious competing claims; principal creditors’ recourse was directed to the shareholder, not the company.
Insolvency law – Administrator’s powers – Court directions under s.173(1); Verification/adjudication of claims in administration; Insolvency Regulations r.175–178; Rule against double proof/double recovery where principal creditor and guarantor/parent conflict; Effect of settlement clauses and consent orders extinguishing company recourse; Office-holder engagement of external counsel.
14 December 2022
13 December 2022
Leave to appeal granted where applicant showed arguable grounds and reasonable prospects; stay of execution refused.
Civil procedure – Order 44 Rules 2 and 3 – Leave to appeal required for interlocutory orders – application for leave must be made first to the court that made the order. Leave to appeal – test – substantial question of law of general principle or an arguable appeal with reasonable prospects of success. Stay of execution – requires fresh grounds; absent new grounds, prior decision on stay stands.
12 December 2022
State agents’ arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention and unlawful killing breached victims’ constitutional rights; State held vicariously liable.
Constitutional rights — unlawful arrest and detention — failure to inform reasons for arrest; denial of access to counsel and next of kin; detention beyond 48 hours; incommunicado detention as psychological torture; right to life and failure to release body — cultural burial rights; State vicarious liability for UPDF and police officers; remedies — declarations, exhumation and handover, general and exemplary damages, interest and costs.
12 December 2022
7 December 2022
7 December 2022
Civil dispute cannot justify arrest; unlawful detention breached Article 23 and both employer and Government held vicariously liable.
Constitutional and criminal procedure law – unlawful arrest and detention – Article 23(1)(c) Constitution and Police Act – reasonable suspicion requirement – 48‑hour rule for production to court – tort of false imprisonment – vicarious liability of employer and Government for agents’ acts – assessment of general and exemplary damages.
5 December 2022
Court granted leave to defer the company’s AGM due to financial constraints, absent audited accounts, and impracticability of virtual attendance.
Companies Act – Section 138 compliance and quorum requirements; Section 142(1) court power to order or defer AGMs where convening as prescribed is impracticable; virtual AGM impracticability due to rural membership; discretionary relief to prevent member disenfranchisement.
5 December 2022
New material justified review and set-aside of a consent variation because compensation would have been wrongly paid to already‑paid or still‑employed persons.
Civil procedure — Review of court’s own decision under Order 46 r.1(b) CPR — discovery of new and important material — Consent Variation Order — validity where consent executed without adequate information or contrary to public policy — entitlement to terminal benefits where claimant remained on public payroll.
4 December 2022

Enforcement of property rights—constitutional guarantee—wrongful seizure—detinue vs. public Law—human rights enforcement—cause of action—preliminary objection overruled—right to redress under Article 50

2 December 2022