Law society president gets reprieve over arrest warrant

The High Court in Kampala has given self-exiled president of the Uganda Law Society Isaac Ssemakadde temporary relief by halting the execution of his arrest warrant, reports the Daily Monitor. The warrant has been hovering over his head in connection with the allegations that he insulted the modesty of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Justice Jane Frances Abodo. Presiding judge Paul Gadenya Wolimbwa reasoned that in the interest of justice, the arrest warrant against Ssemakadde is halted pending the determination of an appeal before the High Court. The Chief Magistrate’s Court of Buganda Road is directed to stay proceedings in the matter. On 19 March, Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi issued an international arrest warrant against Ssemakadde after he did not turn up in court despite numerous criminal summonses. The complaint against Ssemakadde was filed by private prosecutors Tonny Tumukunde and Joshua Byamazima. In his application for revision before the High Court, he questions the legality, correctness, and regularity of the proceedings in the lower court.

Ssemakadde argues that in the absence of the testimony of Abodo, there is no reasonable and probable cause to believe that the proposed offence was committed. He also argues that the complaint on oath and in a supporting affidavit do not disclose the commission of the proposed offence, and also that the proposed offence is manifestly victim-centred. Though the High Court Criminal Division has given some relief to Ssemakadde, there is a separate ruling of the Civil Division of the High Court whose orders still stand to have Ssemakadde arrested and taken to Luzira prison to serve two years for contempt of court. According to the Daily Monitor, on 14 February, Justice Musa Ssekaana (then head of the Civil Division of the High Court), found Ssemakadde guilty of contempt of court for his alleged consistent derogatory, scandalous attacks directed at judicial officers on his social media platforms. The order for his arrest and the eventual jailing were made when Ssemakadde was out of the country.