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Supreme Court of Uganda

The Supreme Court of Uganda is the highest judicial organ in Uganda. It derives powers from Article 130 of the 1995 constitution. It is primarily an appellate court with original jurisdiction in only one type of case: a presidential election petition.

The Supreme Court is headed by the chief justice nd has ten other justices. The quorum required for a court decision varies depending on the type of case under consideration. When hearing a constitutional appeal, the required quorum is seven justices. In a criminal or a civil appeal, only five justices are required for a quorum.

 

Physical address
Plot M105, Kinawataka Road, Mbuya 1, Kampala, Uganda
66 judgments
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66 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
May 2023
16 May 2023

 

5 May 2023
5 May 2023
Registrar erred in allowing duplicate and excessive taxed costs; instruction fees and several items reduced or set aside.
Taxation — Same counsel for multiple parties — Paragraph 17 Third Schedule — single bill requirement and taxing officer’s duty to disallow unnecessary duplicate costs; Taxation — Instruction fees — ‘amount involved in the appeal’ must be an issue in the appeal; excessive fees and interlocutory fees reviewable; Taxation — Drawings, copies, attendances and perusals ordinarily subsumed under instruction fees; Disbursements — receipts required; VAT — VAT certificate required before award.
5 May 2023
A single bill must be used where counsel represents multiple parties; excessive instruction fees, certain drawings, disbursements and VAT awards were set aside.
Civil procedure — Taxation of costs — Paragraph 17, Third Schedule (same advocate for multiple parties) — single bill requirement and taxing officer's duty to assess necessity of separate proceedings; Taxation — principles for instruction fees — amount ‘involved in the appeal’ defined by issues actually before the appellate court; Disbursements and VAT — receipts and VAT registration certificate required before allowance.
5 May 2023
Bail pending appeal is premature where the appeal has been heard and judgment is imminent, absent proven exceptional circumstances.
Bail pending appeal – availability and criteria; meaning of "determination" as judgment; prematurity of bail applications where appeal already heard and judgment imminent; exceptional circumstances under Trial on Indictment Act (serious illness, advanced age) require factual proof; speculative delay insufficient.
5 May 2023
Application for bail was premature where the appeal had been heard and only judgment remained; exceptional circumstances not established.
Criminal procedure – bail pending appeal – applicability where appeal already heard and awaiting judgment; exceptional circumstances for bail in indictable offences (Trial on Indictment Act s.15) – grave illness and advanced age – requirement of non‑speculative delay to justify release.
5 May 2023
April 2023

 

26 April 2023

 

14 April 2023

 

14 April 2023
6 April 2023
March 2023
Court granted interim stay of execution pending Supreme Court application, finding exceptional circumstances and requisite conditions satisfied.
Civil procedure – Interim relief – Stay of execution – Conditions for interim stay: competent notice of appeal, substantive application pending, serious threat of execution. Jurisdiction – Rule 41(1)/(2) – Court of Appeal preferred forum but Supreme Court may hear stay applications in exceptional circumstances under Rule 2(2). Execution proceedings – preservation of status quo pending appeal. Security for costs – non‑compliance disputed but not dispositive for interim relief in this ruling.
23 March 2023

 

14 March 2023
February 2023

 

27 February 2023

 

20 February 2023
January 2023

 

25 January 2023