– KAMPALA, Uganda
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has issued a directive to end colonial-era judicial traditions. On July 7, 2026, ULS President Isaac K. Ssemakadde signed Executive Order RNB No. 12 of 2026, titled ‘Abolition of Colonial Judicial Culture.’ The order prohibits lawyers from addressing judicial officers with titles such as ‘My Lord,’ ‘Your Lordship,’ ‘My Lady,’ ‘Your Ladyship,’ or ‘Your Worship,’ as well as from bowing or performing any other physical act of deference before judges.
Effective immediately, lawyers and litigants must use simpler forms of address such as ‘Mr. Justice,’ ‘Madam Justice,’ ‘Mr. Judge,’ ‘Madam Judge,’ or ‘Mr. Magistrate.’ Members of the Uganda Law Society are required to stand upright and address the court as citizens on equal footing, rejecting practices that the ULS describes as obsolete feudal vestiges of colonial rule.
The reforms aim to promote equality, dignity, and greater accessibility within Uganda's justice system. Ssemakadde noted that such traditions create unnecessary hierarchies and distance judicial officers from the citizens they serve.
The executive order also initiates a 90-day national consultation process involving the judiciary, the legal profession, and civic groups. This process will examine other colonial legacies including wigs and robes and review the Judiciary’s Client Service Charter to ensure that court proceedings better reflect the reality of Uganda.
The directive applies to all ULS members and will be published on the organization's official channels. This measure is likely to influence judicial practices across the country and inspire broader debates on the decolonization of legal traditions in East Africa.