Kampala, Uganda — The Uganda Law Society (ULS) on Thursday, February 5, 2026, held a parallel New Law Year event after its top leadership declined to attend the official ceremony at the Judiciary headquarters, citing exclusion and broader concerns over the state of justice and the rule of law.
The alternative event took place at the Uganda Law Society headquarters in Kampala and was attended by senior members of the Bar, civil society actors, and political figures.
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Addressing the gathering, ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, speaking on behalf of President Isaac Ssemakadde who was reported to be ill, said the decision followed last year’s experience in which the ULS President appeared on the programme of the official New Law Year event but was denied an opportunity to speak.
“The Bar is an essential component in the realisation of a democratic society that guarantees respect for human rights and ensures access to justice for all,” Asiimwe said. “To exclude the Bar from a forum meant to audit government obligations to the public and reflect on the state of justice is constitutionally absurd.”
Asiimwe explained that the Society opted to convene its own New Law Year to openly discuss the realities facing legal practitioners and the public, and to present what he described as a true and fair audit of governance and justice delivery in the country.
He raised concern over what ULS termed the growing militarisation of civilian spaces, particularly during the recently concluded elections.
“During the elections, this unwarranted militarisation manifested starkly through the widespread deployment of military personnel in what should remain purely civilian and democratic spaces,” he said. “Lawyers, alongside ordinary citizens, faced unlawful arrests, violence, intimidation, and coercion.”
The ULS leadership also decried the alleged systematic targeting of human rights defenders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and civil society organisations (CSOs), noting that some have been arbitrarily suspended while activists have been arrested, detained, assaulted, and face possible prosecution in military courts.
According to Asiimwe, such actions undermine the independence of the Bar and erode the rule of law.
He further highlighted the worsening crisis of prison overcrowding, attributing it to prolonged remand periods and what he described as a police-to-prison pipeline that results in delayed court conclusions, inhumane detention conditions, and violations of the right to speedy justice.
The ULS Vice President also criticised ongoing attempts to prosecute civilians in military tribunals, citing the recent inauguration of office bearers at the General Court Martial despite a Supreme Court ruling barring the trial of civilians in military courts.
“These actions entrench repression, deny fair trial standards, and intimidate legal practitioners who represent dissenting voices,” he said.
“As we open this New Law Year, the Uganda Law Society reaffirms its commitment to the rule of law, democracy, and the protection of human rights,” Asiimwe added. “Justice in Uganda cannot be advanced through exclusion, silence, or unilateralism. It requires honest dialogue, mutual respect, and the meaningful participation of all institutions entrusted with its administration.”
The event also featured remarks from Nina Kankunda, popularly known as Nina Roz, a former aspirant for Sembabule District Woman Member of Parliament on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket. She condemned electoral violence, saying it caused physical harm to voters and instilled fear that discouraged public participation in the electoral process.
