HC: Land Division (Uganda)

The Land Division is a Division created at the High Court Head office at Kampala.

The Division is charged with the following functions:Responsibility of supervising the work of Land Tribunals, the adjudication of all land related dispute fall under this Division. The land Division is established with three judges with a separate registry for the Division .There is a Registrar for the Land Division who doubles as the Registrar of the Land Tribunals. A desk office was also established under the office of the Registrar to handle the activities of the District Land Tribunals.

 

Physical address
Twed Towers, along Kafu Road, Nakasero, Kampala.
30 judgments
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30 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
July 2024
31 July 2024
Appeal dismissed: existing community access road proved, appellant estopped from denying it; trial court’s orders upheld with costs.
Land law – Access road/right of way – Evidence and admissible community agreement acknowledging access – Estoppel by prior acknowledgement – Distinction between existing access and statutory creation of access under Roads Act – Appeal dismissed, trial judgment upheld.
31 July 2024
29 July 2024
29 July 2024
26 July 2024
25 July 2024
23 July 2024
23 July 2024
23 July 2024
Appellate court upheld bona fide occupancy and trespass findings; damages award sustained and appeal dismissed.
Land law – Kibanja ownership – bona fide occupancy – uninterrupted possession for 12+ years under Art. 237(8) and s.29(d) Land Act. Civil procedure – pleadings – objection to plaint must be raised in pleadings, as preliminary objection or at trial; cannot be raised first on appeal Evidence – appellate re-evaluation will not disturb factual findings unless there is misdirection or manifest wrong exercise of discretion Damages – appellate court will not disturb discretionary awards absent shown error in principle
19 July 2024
The court granted a certificate of urgency for interim relief over an imminent eviction threat pending an appeal in a land dispute.
Civil procedure – application for certificate of urgency – threat of eviction following temporary injunction – power to hear urgent interim applications during court vacation.
19 July 2024
A certificate of urgency was granted to allow an interim stay of execution pending appeal to be heard during court vacation.
Civil procedure – certificate of urgency – application for interim stay of execution – necessity of urgent hearing during court vacation – risk of irreparable harm pending appeal.
18 July 2024
18 July 2024
18 July 2024
18 July 2024
Court permits urgent hearing of interim injunction to halt threatened land title cancellation during vacation.
Land law – Administrative cancellation of certificate of title – Application for urgent interim injunction during court vacation – Requirements for certificate of urgency.
17 July 2024
An application for urgent hearing during court vacation was declined as the applicant failed to show sufficient urgency.
Civil procedure – Certificate of urgency – Court vacation – Stay of execution – Threshold for urgent applications during vacation – Hearing dates post-vacation.
16 July 2024
Court granted a certificate of urgency to allow hearing of an interim injunction application during vacation due to imminent risk to property.
Civil procedure – interim injunction – certificate of urgency – hearing during court vacation – threshold for urgency – prevention of irreparable harm to suit property.
16 July 2024
12 July 2024
A court’s post-repeal exercise of jurisdiction over access-road applications is void; applicant must follow Roads Act s.60 procedures.
Administrative law – Jurisdiction – Repeal of Access to Roads Act and transfer of jurisdiction to Minister under Roads Act s.60 – Proceedings by a court after loss of jurisdiction are nullity; Evidence – burden to prove existence of easement and failed negotiations before compulsory access relief.
11 July 2024
Registrar’s discretionary grant of a temporary injunction preserving the status quo did not amount to an error on the face of the record.
Land practice—Review of Registrar’s orders—Only High Court judge may review Registrar-made orders; Review under Order 46—mistake apparent on face of record, new evidence, or sufficient reasons; Temporary injunctions—requirements (prima facie case, irreparable harm, balance of convenience) and discretionary nature; Preservation of status quo as purpose of injunctions.
11 July 2024
11 July 2024
9 July 2024
Purchasers from a vendor lacking registered-owner consent acquire no title; registered transferee’s title is conclusive and protected.
Land law – validity of transactions involving tenants by occupancy – Section 34 Land Act; Torrens system – conclusiveness of registered title (Registration of Titles Act s59); trespass – possessory rights versus title; caveat removal; approbation and reprobation/estoppel following settlement.
5 July 2024
Land Law—Mailo to Freehold conversion—Crown Grant under colonial law—fraudulent reconstruction of title—bonafide purchaser protection—agent liability for undisclosed principals—criminal investigation for title fraud ordered—suit dismissed with costs
5 July 2024
Court held transfers void where forged, succession certificate invalid, while protecting bona fide purchasers and awarding reversion and damages.
Land — succession certificate issued ultra vires — estate reversion; Fraud and forged transfers — registration impeachable; Illiterates Protection Act and S.134 RTA — formal requirements for conveyances and administrators; Bona fide purchaser protection — ss.176 & 181 RTA; Power of attorney — strict construction and limits; Rectification by Commissioner — cannot defeat bona fide leaseholder; Remedies — cancellation of titles, reversion, damages, interest and costs.
4 July 2024
Whether transfers based on an unlawful succession certificate and forged documents are void and whether later purchasers are protected.
Land law; succession certificates – ultra vires Administrator General; defects in conveyancing – Illiterates Protection Act, s.134 RTA; forgery and concealment of consideration; bona fide purchaser protection under ss.176 & 181 RTA; rectification and declaratory relief; damages and costs.
4 July 2024
Application to strike out appeal dismissed for non-appearance and lack of proof of service.
Civil procedure – application to strike out appeal – dismissal of application for lack of prosecution and failure to prove service – non-appearance by applicant or counsel.
4 July 2024
A contemnor who has not purged contempt has no audience; appeal dismissed and execution ordered to proceed.
Contempt of court – contemnor who has not purged contempt has no audience before court; Execution – effect of contempt on right to be heard and allowing execution to proceed; Locus in quo evidence – proving ongoing disobedience of court orders; Binding precedent – reliance on Jingo Mukasa v. Rwaguma
2 July 2024
A criminal judgment is not an automatic bar to a civil suit; discovery of fraud postpones limitation.
Civil procedure – abuse of court process – whether a criminal judgment bars subsequent civil proceedings; Limitation Act – Section 25(o) – discovery of fraud postpones limitation period; Advocates (Professional Conduct) Regulations – Regulation 9 – scope of prohibition on advocate deposing as witness.
1 July 2024