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.
83 judgments
  • Filters
  • Judges
  • Alphabet
Sort by:
83 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 2024

 

18 December 2024

 

18 December 2024

 

18 December 2024

Criminal appeal—Computer Misuse Act—electronic fraud—false Facebook account—deception—unlawful gain—circumstantial evidence—fair trial rights—adequate time for defense—disclosure—non-calling of material witness (Vice President Jessica Alupo)—custodial sentence—fine discretion—remand deduction—aggravating factors—deterrence—sentence revision—procedural fairness.

18 December 2024

 

10 December 2024

Criminal revision—supervisory powers of the High Court—concurrent divorce and criminal proceedings—overlap of subject matter—divorce and forgery allegations—prejudice and fair trial—exceptional circumstances—judicial discretion—competing considerations

9 December 2024

Bail application—Criminal Procedure Code—constitutional rights—presumption of innocence—public interest—conditional bail—compliance with Court Orders

5 December 2024
November 2024

 

26 November 2024

Fraudulent plea bargain agreement—misrepresentation of facts—prosecutorial impropriety—charge amendment from Murder to Manslaughter—procedural irregularity—judicial review—quashing of plea bargain agreement—retrial ordered—costs

26 November 2024

 

25 November 2024

 

25 November 2024

Criminal Law—bail—cancellation—right to fair hearing—proof of breach of bail conditions—natural justice—Constitution Article 28 and 44(c)—reinstatement of bail—costs.

14 November 2024

 

6 November 2024

 

6 November 2024

 

4 November 2024

 

1 November 2024
October 2024

 

31 October 2024
Applicant remanded well beyond the 180‑day constitutional limit is entitled to mandatory bail subject to specified conditions.
Constitutional criminal procedure – Article 23(6)(c) – mandatory bail where accused remanded over 180 days without committal to High Court; delay in committal as ground for bail; setting of bail conditions.
30 October 2024

 

28 October 2024

 

16 October 2024

 

16 October 2024

 

14 October 2024

Private prosecution – procedural defects – DPP's authority – withdrawal of criminal cases – abuse of court process – public interest – administration of justice

14 October 2024
September 2024

 

6 September 2024
August 2024

 

21 August 2024
Application to nullify allegedly torture‑obtained statements dismissed because the DPP was wrongly sued; merits not determined.
* Constitutional and human rights enforcement – jurisdiction of the High Court under the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act to entertain non-derogable rights claims. * Civil procedure – proper party to sue – inability to sue the DPP in his own capacity; actions against government to be instituted against the Attorney General. * Evidence – allegations of torture and voluntariness of statements require detailed proof; interlocutory nullification not appropriate where party‑joinder defect is fatal. * Remedies – expungement/nullification of statements in context of criminal proceedings and proper procedural route.
7 August 2024
Application alleging statements procured by torture dismissed for being brought against wrong respondent (DPP/"Uganda") rather than Attorney General.
Human rights enforcement – Alleged torture and involuntary charge and caution statements – Procedural requirement to sue Attorney General (capacity to be sued) – Misjoinder of respondent fatal – Court declines to decide merits where preliminary objection disposes of application.
1 August 2024
July 2024

 

19 July 2024

 

11 July 2024
June 2024

 

19 June 2024

 

14 June 2024

 

12 June 2024

 

6 June 2024

 

6 June 2024

 

6 June 2024

 

6 June 2024

 

6 June 2024

 

6 June 2024

 

5 June 2024

 

5 June 2024

 

4 June 2024
May 2024
21 May 2024
17 May 2024
April 2024
Accused remanded over 180 days without committal entitled to mandatory bail under Bail Guideline Rule 10(1).
Bail – Mandatory bail under Bail Guidelines Rule 10(1) – entitlement where remand exceeds 180 days without committal; Constitutional right to bail (Art.23(6)(a)); Court’s discretion to impose reasonable conditions despite seriousness of charges.
29 April 2024
29 April 2024
19 April 2024
Serious medical conditions can constitute exceptional circumstances justifying bail if sureties and reporting conditions mitigate flight or interference risk.
Bail — discretion under Article 23(6)(a) and s.15(1) TIA; exceptional circumstances — medical condition as ground for bail; evidentiary value of prison medical report; requirement to show low risk of absconding or witness interference; imposition of conditions to protect administration of justice.
16 April 2024
Accused remanded over 60 days without trial is entitled to mandatory bail; court imposed reasonable conditions for release.
• Criminal procedure – Bail – Mandatory release where accused remanded over 60 days without trial commencement (Article 23(6)(b); Rule 9 bail practice directions). • Constitutional rights – Presumption of innocence relevant to bail but grant not automatic. • Committal to High Court – Does not negate mandatory bail entitlement if 60 days have already lapsed. • Bail conditions – Court may impose reasonable monetary and reporting conditions to secure attendance.
16 April 2024
10 April 2024
9 April 2024