HC: Criminal Division (Uganda)

The Criminal Division is Responsible for hearing all serious criminal offences referred to it by the Magistrates' Courts. According to the Principal Judge's Circular, except for Commercial Court Judges who must attend to only Commercial Court cases, the rest of the Judges of the High Court who are based in Kampala are members of the Criminal Division irrespective of the other Divisions of the High Court that they belong to.

Each of the above judges is supposed to do, at least, one High Court Criminal Session in a year at Kampala

Physical address
High Court Building at Plot 2, the Square.
5 judgments
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5 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 2023
21 December 2023
Prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case of aggravated defilement; medical evidence showed rectal prolapse, not sodomy.
Criminal law – Aggravated defilement – Prima facie case under s.73 Trial on Indictments Act – Essential element: proof of sexual act (penetration) – Medical evidence (rectal prolapse) versus allegations of sodomy – Quality and consistency of witness evidence; circumstantial evidence must point unequivocally to accused.
20 December 2023
Repeat serial murderer sentenced to 40 years (net 37y3m17d); sentences ordered to run consecutively.
Criminal law – Murder – Multiple/serial murders – aggravating factors: abuse of trust, strangulation and burning of bodies – mitigating factors: guilty plea, youth – Sentencing Guidelines (2013) – deduction of remand time – concurrent vs consecutive sentences (Trial on Indictment Act s122).
13 December 2023
Repeat offender who murdered girlfriend and infant sentenced to concurrent 35‑year terms, remand deducted.
Criminal law – Murder – Sentencing – aggravating factors: brutality, breach of trust, repeat offending/serial pattern – mitigating factors: youth, guilty plea, remorse – Law Revision (Penalties) (Amendment) Act 2019 permitting fixed terms for life offences – remand deduction – concurrent sentences for single transaction.
13 December 2023
Convict guilty of a brutal, serial murder sentenced to 30 years, credited for remand, leaving 27 years to serve.
Criminal law – Murder – Sentencing: life imprisonment vs. fixed term; guilty plea as mitigation; serial killings and burning of body as aggravation; sentencing guidelines and statutory definition of life imprisonment; credit for remand period.
13 December 2023