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Citation
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Judgment date
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| November 2025 |
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Supreme Court has no jurisdiction where Court of Appeal struck out appeal; injunction application dismissed with costs.
* Appellate jurisdiction – Supreme Court – scope under section 6(1) Judicature Act – second appeals only from Court of Appeal decisions that confirm, vary or reverse High Court decisions on merits.
* Civil procedure – effect of striking out an appeal for procedural default – does not confer Supreme Court jurisdiction.
* Interim relief – requirements for temporary injunction on appeal (prima facie case, irreparable harm, balance of convenience) and their application where underlying claim was time‑barred.
* Limitation – dismissal on limitation grounds extinguishes the cause of action; procedural appeals cannot resuscitate it.
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5 November 2025 |
| October 2025 |
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Possession of recently stolen property without reasonable explanation sustained convictions; sentencing challenge on severity barred and dismissed.
* Criminal law – Circumstantial evidence – Doctrine of recent possession – Possession of recently stolen goods without reasonable explanation supports inference of guilt.
* Appellate review – Duty of first appellate court to re-evaluate evidence; limited scope of second appeal to points of law or misapplication of principle.
* Sentencing – Appeals against severity barred by section 5(3) Judicature Act unless a matter of law; remand period deduction required.
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30 October 2025 |
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An advocate may file separate bills for distinct clients; only sums actually in issue in an appeal count as the amount involved for taxation.
Costs — Taxation — Whether same advocate may file separate bills for distinct parties; meaning of 'amount involved in the appeal' for instruction fees; principles limiting manifestly excessive instruction fees; taxation of interlocutory application fees; whether drawings/attendances/perusals are separately chargeable.
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17 October 2025 |
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Supreme Court granted an interim stay of execution pending substantive stay, despite formal defects in the notice of appeal.
* Civil procedure – Interim stay of execution – Conditions: competent notice of appeal, substantive stay application filed, imminent threat of execution.
* Appeals – Competence of notice of appeal – Formal defects in heading do not necessarily render notice incompetent if the decision appealed is identified.
* Court structure – Rule 41(1) – Supreme Court may, in discretion and in the interest of judicial economy, hear stay applications without prior determination by Court of Appeal.
* Arbitration – Whether appeal is permitted under Arbitration and Conciliation Act is a substantive competence issue to be decided at leave/main appeal stage.
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2 October 2025 |
| September 2025 |
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Supreme Court struck out applications for want of jurisdiction over Court of Appeal execution-related decision.
Appellate jurisdiction — section 6(1) Judicature Act — appeals to Supreme Court only where Court of Appeal confirmed/varied/reversed High Court original- jurisdiction decision; Execution proceedings — decrees deemed of trial court — matters incidental to execution do not give rise to an automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court; Interlocutory orders and review of execution-related orders are not ordinarily appealable to the Supreme Court; Filing directly in Supreme Court/Rule 41(1) issues — jurisdictional competence is determinative.
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26 September 2025 |
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Application to extend time and validate late Notice of Appeal dismissed for inordinate delay and prejudice to the respondent.
Supreme Court Rules – extension of time – service of Notice of Appeal – effect of counsel’s negligence – inordinate delay and prejudice where decree fully executed – certificate of public importance not a bar to seeking extension.
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24 September 2025 |
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Supreme Court: Constitutional Court lacked jurisdiction—respondent's petition sought enforcement, not constitutional interpretation.
* Constitutional law – jurisdiction of Constitutional Court – Article 137(1) limited to interpretation of the Constitution; not a trier of contested facts or general forum for enforcement of rights.
* Constitutional v. enforcement remedies – distinction between Article 137 interpretation (declarations) and Article 50 enforcement (compensation/remedies).
* Article 119(5) – Attorney General’s legal advice on government contracts; where Supreme Court interpretation exists, further interpretation by Constitutional Court unnecessary and issues become matters of enforcement or mixed fact and law.
* Procedure – constitutional petitions must be concise and follow rules; prolixity and argumentative affidavits may be expunged but do not automatically invalidate a petition.
* Remedial scope – Constitutional Court may grant redress incidental to declarations but cannot substitute for fact-finding courts when disputes raise contested facts.
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18 September 2025 |
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Article 23(8) requires explicit arithmetic deduction of remand time from determinate sentences; failure renders sentence illegal.
Constitutional law – Article 23(8): mandatory arithmetic deduction of remand time from determinate sentences; indeterminate sentences (life, death) excluded; illegality of sentence for non-compliance; Supreme Court re-sentencing under section 7 Judicature Act; requirement that remand deduction be explicit, not vague.
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18 September 2025 |
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The appeal is dismissed: the Court of Appeal properly resentenced the appellants; Supreme Court barred from revisiting sentence severity.
* Criminal law – Sentencing – Murder by mob action – appellate re-sentencing and consistency with precedent; * Remorse – treated as a mitigating factor, not an aggravating one; * Appellate jurisdiction – scope of Supreme Court on second appeal; * Statutory limitation – section 5(3) Judicature Act bars appeals against sentence severity.
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15 September 2025 |
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Second appeal: torture ground not entertained; electronic evidence authenticated; convictions and 10-year sentence upheld.
Criminal law – second appeal — admissibility and authentication of electronic records under Computer Misuse Act s29(5)(b),(c); proof of user account creation and IP login trails; procedural rule barring fresh grounds (torture) not raised before Court of Appeal; Supreme Court jurisdictional limit on appeals against severity of sentence.
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15 September 2025 |
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Court may vary rate but not type of agreed interest; 24% compounded over 25 years found unconscionable and reduced, with awards adjusted.
Civil procedure – interest on contractual debts – scope of section 26(1) Civil Procedure Act: court may vary rate but not type of interest; compound interest; penalty clauses and unconscionability; assessment of compensatory interest and general damages for long delay in payment.
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11 September 2025 |
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The Supreme Court clarified the right to fair hearing and due process when reviewing its own judgments, particularly regarding removal of a company liquidator and findings of fraud.
Civil Procedure – Review of Supreme Court judgment – fundamental error – right to a fair hearing – removal of liquidator – proper construction of Companies Act regarding sale of company assets during liquidation – due process and jurisdiction of Supreme Court under insolvency law.
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10 September 2025 |
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Second appeal may include mixed law and fact; caveat freezes transfers and registration while subsisting, defeating purchaser protection.
Supreme Court — second appeal jurisdiction — power to decide questions of law or mixed law and fact (no additional evidence); Land law — caveat under RTA freezes adverse dealings; Purchaser’s duty of due diligence — constructive notice; Registration effected while caveat subsists / contravening s.141 RTA is irregular and defeasible; Bona fide purchaser protection lost where purchaser had or ought to have had notice.
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4 September 2025 |
| August 2025 |
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An interim stay of execution was granted to preserve the status quo pending determination of a substantive stay application and appeal.
Civil procedure – stay of execution – interim orders – requirements for grant of interim stay – application to Supreme Court without prior application to Court of Appeal – consideration of imminent threat of execution and the interests of justice – preservation of status quo pending appeal.
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29 August 2025 |
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Second appeal: consent reconciliation mitigated loss; general damages increased to UGX 300,000,000; interest on admitted debt properly runs from 19 May 1999.
Banking law — customer–bank relationship — wrongful debit/overdraft — consent reconciliation — special vs general damages — appellate review of damages — interest on admitted debts — costs follow event unless discretion injudiciously exercised.
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29 August 2025 |
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Supreme Court dismissed appeal: conviction challenge was improper and sentence challenge amounted to a prohibited appeal against severity.
Criminal law – Second appeal – scope limited to issues before Court of Appeal; abandonment of grounds – conviction challenge improper when abandoned at first appellate stage; Sentencing – appeals against severity restricted by s.5(3) Judicature Act; Prisons Act administrative, does not prescribe maximum penalties; 30-year sentence for murder not illegal as below statutory maximum.
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20 August 2025 |
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An appeal framed as inconsistency with precedent that seeks a lower sentence is barred as a disguised challenge to severity under section 5(3).
Criminal law – Sentencing – Limits of second appeals under section 5(3) Judicature Act – Appeals on severity of sentence excluded – Consistency/equality in sentencing is a guiding principle but cannot be used to transform a disguised challenge to harshness into a justiciable point of law – Court will interfere only for illegality or misapplication of principle (e.g., failure to deduct remand time, sentence exceeding statutory maximum).
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15 August 2025 |
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The court upheld murder and attempted murder convictions but found procedural errors in the sentence enhancement.
Criminal Law – Murder – Malice aforethought – Attempted murder – Enhancement of sentence – Procedural error in sentencing
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6 August 2025 |
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The Supreme Court quashed four murder convictions for insufficient identification and improper burden of proof, affirming only one conviction with a revised, legal sentence.
Criminal law – identification evidence – reliability – visual identification in poor lighting – risk of mistaken identity – burden of proof – defence of alibi – prosecution’s duty to disprove alibi – sentencing – deduction for time spent on remand – legality of sentence – common intention – reversal of burden of proof.
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6 August 2025 |
| July 2025 |
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Commemoration granted for late Justice Kanyeihamba's notable contributions to Ugandan jurisprudence and legal education.
Ugandan Supreme Court allows commemoration of Justice for distinguished service, applying Administrative Act provisions.
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23 July 2025 |
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Registrar's failure to register a caveat led to appellant's loss due to third-party bona fide purchase.
Land law – registration of titles – failure to register a caveat – government liability for registrar's omissions – compensation under Registration of Titles Act.
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18 July 2025 |
Civil Procedure—Mesne Profits—Constructive Trust—Trespass—Valuation Evidence—Currency Conversion—Judicial Discretion—Interest on Damages—Consent Judgment—Expropriation Laws—Appeal Allowed in Full—Costs
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10 July 2025 |
Criminal Procedure – Interim Stay of Execution – Concurrent Civil and Criminal Proceedings – Supervisory Jurisdiction – Abuse of Court Process – Fair Trial – Criminal prosecution does not bar civil proceedings – Exceptional circumstances required for stay – dismissed
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8 July 2025 |
Criminal Procedure—Rape vs Defilement—Consent—Burden of proof—Victim credibility—Inconsistencies in evidence—Medical report admission—Assessors’ opinion—Appellate review—Presumption of innocence—Rape requires proof of lack of consent—Defilement does not—Doubt unresolved—Conviction quashed—acquitted
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8 July 2025 |
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4 July 2025 |
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4 July 2025 |
| June 2025 |
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The court grants an extension of time for filing an appeal, emphasizing substantive justice over procedural technicalities due to illness-related delays.
Civil Procedure – Extension of time – Sufficient cause for delay due to illness and hospitalization – Substantive justice vs. procedural technicalities.
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26 June 2025 |
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Second appeal dismissed: appellant failed to show lack of consent to counsel's sentence-only appeal; no illegality found.
Criminal law – aggravated robbery – sentence – second appeal limited to legality not severity; legal representation – counsel's implied authority and client presence via visual-audio link; fair hearing – failure to object binds appellant.
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26 June 2025 |
| May 2025 |
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Civil Procedure—revision jurisdiction—section 83 of Civil Procedure Act—no right of appeal lies from High Court's decision in revision—jurisdiction must be conferred by statute—Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction—Supreme Court appeal incompetent—revision differs from original or appellate jurisdiction—orders of Court of Appeal and Supreme Court struck out.
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14 May 2025 |
Constitutional law—banking regulation—right to a fair hearing—administrative justice—revocation of banking license—right to property—ouster of court jurisdiction—Section 101 of the FIA—whether BOU's actions in closing National Bank of Commerce (NBC) were unconstitutional—failure to prove violation of constitutional rights—distinction between constitutional interpretation and enforcement—Constitutional Court jurisdiction confined to interpretation—appeal dismissed—no order as to costs
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14 May 2025 |
Civil procedure—injunction—stay of execution—Supreme Court jurisdiction under Rule 41(2)—failure to first apply to Court of Appeal not fatal—ECCMIS—right of appeal must be safeguarded—Regulation 13 of Mortgage Regulations not absolute—valuation & procedural compliance required—threat of execution risks rendering appeal nugatory—injunction granted for 4 months—costs to abide appeal outcome
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9 May 2025 |
| April 2025 |
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An assessor who misses part of the evidence cannot resume and participate; appellate courts must reappraise evidence before ordering retrial.
Criminal procedure – Assessors – Absence of assessor who did not hear part of the evidence – Resumption and participation in assessors' opinion vitiates trial; Assessors' role and Section 69(1) TIA. Criminal appeals – Duty of appellate court to reappraise evidence before ordering retrial; retrial only where interests of justice require.
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28 April 2025 |
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17 April 2025 |
Criminal law—murder—second appeal—appeal on severity of sentence—no appeal on questions of fact—jurisdiction of Supreme Court—section 5(3) Judicature Act—dismissed
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11 April 2025 |
Contract—construction—stone pitching—breach—special damages—proof—fraudulent invoicing—underpayment—variation of agreed rates—joint survey—contradictory evidence—unjustified punitive damages—costs and interest adjusted
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3 April 2025 |
| March 2025 |
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Estate administration—will interpretation—executor powers—joint executorship—testator's intention—decision-making clause—mediation in appellate proceedings—Succession Act, ss. 58, 71, 268—Silver Byaruhanga precedent distinguished—Supreme Court discretion—appeal referred to mediation.
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27 March 2025 |
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18 March 2025 |
Contract—franchise agreements—termination without notice—general damages—nominal damages—interest—limitation of liability clauses—unjust enrichment—costs discretion—concurrent findings—SC jurisdiction
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10 March 2025 |
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3 March 2025 |
| February 2025 |
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Administrative law—land acquisition—compulsory acquisition—right to compensation—procedure—judicial review—appellate jurisdiction—court discretion—retrial order—delay in justice—costs
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27 February 2025 |
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Negligence of former counsel and applicant's detention constituted sufficient cause to extend time to file appeal documents.
Extension of time; negligence/inactivity of instructed counsel as sufficient cause; delay and dilatory conduct; interest of justice; right to have appeal heard on merits in land ownership dispute; filing of memorandum and record of appeal.
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21 February 2025 |
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21 February 2025 |
Land law—intestate succession—distribution of deceased's estate—intermeddling—fraud—statute of limitations—limitation period in land claims—acquiescence—burden of proof—court's duty to re-evaluate evidence—miscarriage of justice—appeal allowed.
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21 February 2025 |
Criminal law—murder—mob justice—eyewitness identification—conditions for proper identification—alibi defence—evaluation of prosecution evidence—trial court findings—Court of Appeal confirmation—Supreme Court jurisdiction—appeal dismissed
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21 February 2025 |
Land—ancestral land—cancellation of title—fraud—stay of execution—interim order—preservation of status quo—authority to depose affidavit—technical objections—case management—costs
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19 February 2025 |
| January 2025 |
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31 January 2025 |
Contract—building plan approval—illegality—construction in road reserve—general damages—special damages—negligence—pleadings—ex turpi causa—trial discretion—costs
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30 January 2025 |
Execution—garnishee orders—depreciation—expert opinions—finality of litigation—court discretion—principles of fairness and justice—Supreme Court jurisdiction—consolidation of applications
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24 January 2025 |
| December 2024 |
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13 December 2024 |
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12 December 2024 |
