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.
22 judgments
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22 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 2025
Appeal dismissed for want of prosecution due to undue delay under Order 43, Rule 31 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
Civil procedure — Appeal dismissed for want of prosecution — Undue delay — Order 43, Rule 31 CPR (SI 71-1) — Registrar to obtain judge’s directions — No order as to costs.
30 December 2025
Applicant’s review succeeded: court found an error apparent (annexures on ECCMIS) and added the applicant as defendant to protect his beneficiary interest.
Land law — review of court orders — error apparent on the face of the record where annexures were filed on ECCMIS but overlooked — joinder/addition of parties — beneficiary’s locus to protect estate interests — avoidance of multiplicity of suits.
30 December 2025
Court dismissed land suit for plaintiff's prolonged inaction, invoking inherent powers to prevent abuse and delay.
Civil procedure – Dismissal for prolonged inactivity – Inherent powers of the High Court (Judicature Act s17(2)(a); Civil Procedure Act s98) – Abuse of process – Duty of litigant to prosecute – Nilani v Patel authority.
29 December 2025
An out-of-time, incompetent notice of appeal defeats an application for stay of execution; application dismissed with costs.
Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — Requirement of competent notice of appeal within prescribed time — Out-of-time notice renders appeal defective — No pending appeal to justify stay under Order 22 R.26/Order 43 R.4(2).
29 December 2025
Revocation of letters of administration warrants substituting the new administrator as defendant to protect the estate's interests.
Civil procedure – substitution of parties – Order 1 r.13 CPR – revocation of letters of administration – capacity of administrators – Succession Act s.176 – actions of former administrator bind the estate – summons to give evidence.
26 December 2025
Plaintiff lacked locus standi; land suit dismissed as an abuse of process and costs awarded to the first defendant.
Civil procedure — Locus standi — Challenge to plaintiff's standing to sue in land proceedings — Abuse of court process — Invoked defences: public policy, absolute immunity, advocates' immunity — Procedural dismissal and costs.
26 December 2025
Whether the applicant is entitled to taxation of an advocate–client bill after proper service and no reply.
Advocates Act — Taxation of advocate–client bill of costs — Service and statutory 30‑day response period — Failure to file affidavit in reply — Effect of uncontroverted averments — Order 12 r.3(2) CPR.
23 December 2025
Court reinstated a suit dismissed for failure to extract summons for directions, exercising discretion despite counsel’s negligence.
Civil procedure — Reinstatement of dismissed suit — Order XIA r.6 (failure to extract summons for directions) — Discretionary relief — Neglect/mistake of counsel — Reopening miscellaneous application.
22 December 2025
Caretaker-occupier cannot claim adverse possession; continued occupation after eviction notice constitutes trespass against the applicant.
Land law – leasehold title and renewal – caretaker occupation – adverse possession (animus and consent) – tenant at sufferance – trespass – invalid sale of public/leasehold land – cancellation of freehold offer – mesne profits (proof required) – general damages and eviction.
22 December 2025
Application dismissed for want of prosecution for failure to comply with court directives under Section 17(2)(a).
Civil procedure – Dismissal for want of prosecution – Non-compliance with court directives issued via electronic case management system – Application dismissed under Section 17(2)(a) Judicature Act, Cap. 16.
18 December 2025
Court set aside dismissal and reinstated the applicants' appeal, finding sufficient cause to excuse non‑prosecution.
Civil procedure — Dismissal for want of prosecution — Reinstatement — Sufficient cause — ECCMIS notices and administrative file transfers — Counsel’s inadvertence excused in interests of justice — Balancing prejudice and right to fair hearing.
18 December 2025
Stay of execution pending appeal refused for unreasonable delay, failure to show irreparable harm, and absence of security.
Civil procedure – Stay of execution pending appeal – Requirements: notice of appeal, triable issue with realistic chance of success, irreparable loss, balance of convenience, absence of undue delay, and provision of security – Undue delay and lack of security disentitle applicant to stay – Eviction generally reversible and compensable by damages absent exceptional circumstances.
17 December 2025
Appeal for interim injunctive relief dismissed as overtaken by events after withdrawal of the underlying suit; no costs.
Civil procedure – Appeal rendered academic – Withdrawal of underlying suit by consent – Interim injunctions – Appeal dismissed as overtaken by events – No order as to costs.
17 December 2025
Application to set aside ex parte order dismissed for want of prosecution under Section 17(2)(a).
Procedure — Setting aside ex parte order — Non‑compliance with court directives on ECCMIS — Dismissal for want of prosecution under Section 17(2)(a) Judicature Act Cap 16.
17 December 2025
Appeal dismissed for want of prosecution due to failure to comply with court directives under section 17(2)(a).
Civil procedure – dismissal for want of prosecution – non‑compliance with court directions – ECCMIS filing – section 17(2)(a) Judicature Act, Cap 16.
16 December 2025
Application to appoint estate administrators dismissed for non-appearance after ECCMIS-validated hearing; no costs ordered.
Practice and procedure – Electronic case management (ECCMIS) – Validation/transmission via ECCMIS treated as effective service unless system failure proven – Non-appearance at hearing – Dismissal under Order 9, Rule 17 – Costs: none ordered.
12 December 2025
Reference application dismissed for non-appearance where ECCMIS-validated hearing constituted effective service.
Civil procedure – non-appearance – dismissal under Order 9, Rule 17 – electronic service and hearing validation via ECCMIS constitutes effective service – procedural dismissal without determination on merits.
11 December 2025
Applicant failed to show sufficient cause or diligence for extension of time to file an appeal; application dismissed.
Civil procedure — extension of time to appeal — sufficient cause — diligence required — lawyer’s failure not automatically sufficient excuse — power of attorney timing — balance between access to justice and finality — costs awarded.
11 December 2025
Revision is inappropriate to overturn a consent judgment; the remedy is an application to set aside for fraud or similar grounds.
Civil procedure – Revision under Section 83 – Consent judgments – Endorsement of consent by court not amounting to illegal or material irregularity – Remedy to challenge consent is setting aside for fraud, misrepresentation, mistake or lack of consent.
8 December 2025
The applicants' registered titles upheld; fraud requires court adjudication and the Registrar’s temporary withholding was lawful.
Land law – Indefeasibility of title – bona fide purchaser for value – fraud in root of title must be judicially proved – Commissioner/Registrar limited to administrative rectification under Section 88 – temporary withholding of originals permissible as preservationary measure.
8 December 2025
An appeal from a dismissed review application is incompetent without leave; appeal dismissed with costs.
Civil procedure — Appealability — Review applications — Dismissal of review requires leave to appeal — Order 44 r.1(1)(t) & r.1(2), Order 46 r.3 — Section 76 Civil Procedure Act — Previous counsel’s error not a remedy for lack of statutory leave.
8 December 2025
Applicants not added to revision where they were strangers to the original suit; application dismissed with costs.
Civil procedure – Addition of parties – Order 1 rule 10 CPR – Joinder intended for matters pending trial – Joinder at revision stage where applicant was not party below – Requirement to show legal effect on interest – Application dismissed with costs.
8 December 2025