The High Court of Uganda, also Uganda High Court, is the third-highest judicial organ in Uganda, behind the Supreme Court of Uganda and the Court of Appeal of Uganda. It has "unlimited original jurisdiction", with powers to try any case of any value or crime of any magnitude. It is also mandated to hear all appeals from all Magistrates Courts. High Court judgements are appealable to the Uganda Court of Appeal.[1]
Locationedit
The High Court of Uganda is located at 2 The Square, in Kampala Central Division, one of the five administrative burroughs of Uganda's capital city Kampala.[1] The geographical coordinates of the offices of the Uganda High Court are: 0°18'57.0"N, 32°34'46.0"E (Latitude:0.315833; Longitude:32.579444).[2]
Overviewedit
The High Court of Uganda is headed by the Principal Judge (PJ), who is responsible for management of the court, including assigning duties to member justices of the court. The PJ is also responsible for supervising the Magistrates Courts below the High Court.[1] The PJ does hear cases herself/himself at his/her discretion. The current Principal Judge of Uganda is Justice Flavian Zeija.[3]
The High Court has the following eight divisions:[1] (a) Anti-Corruption Division (b) Civil Division (c) Commercial Division (d) Criminal Division (e) Execution and Bailiffs Division (f) Family Division (g) International Crimes Division and (h) Land Division.
In addition to the Kampala headquarters, the High Court has the following circuits where cases can be heard closer to the litigants' domicile.[1]
Arua High Court
Fort Portal High Court
Gulu High Court
Hoima High Court
Iganga High Court
Jinja High Court
Kabale High Court
Lira High Court
Luweero High Court
Masaka High Court
Masindi High Court
Mbarara High Court
Mbale High Court
Moroto High Court
Mpigi High Court
Mubende High Court
Mukono High Court
Rukungiri High Court
Soroti High Court
Tororo High Court.
Compositionedit
The Justices of the High Court of Uganda are headed by the Principal Judge of Uganda. The following are the justices of the High Court of Uganda, as of 15 August 2017:[3]
Justices in High Court divisionsedit
The following Hgh court justices are assigned to the divisions of the Hgh Court of Uganda:[3]
Benjamin Kabiito: Chairperson, Judicial Service Commission.
Other high court judgesedit
The following newly-appointed justices of the high court were sworn in on Friday 23 March 2018, by Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, at State House Entebbe.[5][6]
^ abcdeJudiciary of Uganda (15 August 2017). "The High Court of Uganda". Kampala: Judiciary of Uganda. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
^Google (25 February 2018). "Location of the Offices and Chambers of the High Court of Appeal of Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
^ abcdeJudiciary of Uganda (15 August 2017). "The Honorable Judges Of The High Court". Kampala: Judiciary of Uganda. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
^Charles Etukuri (1 September 2023). "Eleven Newly Appointed High Court Judges Deployed". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
^Semakula, John (24 March 2018). "Judges told to emulate British colonial justice system". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
^Wesaka, Anthony (24 March 2018). "Museveni cautions newly appointed judges on corruption". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
^Anthony Wesaka (5 October 2019). "Museveni Appoints 15 Judges". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
External linksedit
Website of the Judiciary of Uganda
The Legal and Institutional Context of the 2006 Elections in Uganda