Arrest warrant issued for law society boss

The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court today issued a warrant of arrest for Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde after he failed to appear for a court hearing. Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi issued the warrant after Ssemakadde failed to appear in court to answer charges of indecently insulting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo, reports The Monitor. Court records show that on 17 February 2025, charges were sanctioned against Ssemakadde under Section 113 of the Penal Code Act, and criminal summons were issued for him to appear on 29 January 2025. However, his lawyers cited his illness and a pending High Court ruling, leading the court to reschedule his appearance for 24 February. Despite this extension, Ssemakadde failed to appear again, with his lawyers arguing that there was a pending High Court application to stay proceedings and that they were representing him in his absence. ‘In my last ruling, I stated that while an accused person can be represented by counsel under Article 28(3) of the Constitution, he or she must appear in person to take a plea, as lawyers cannot do so on behalf of their clients,’ Kayizzi ruled. ‘The accused was duly served with summons, and an affidavit of service is on record.'

'While there is a pending application for stay of proceedings, it is established law that such an application does not amount to an order of stay. The defence counsel has not given sufficient reasons for his absence, and the court cannot extend summons a third time without a valid reason,’ he added. The magistrate adjourned the matter to 19 March. The case stems from a private prosecution complaint filed by lawyers Joshua Byamazima and Tonny Tumukunde, accusing Ssemakadde of allegedly insulting the modesty of a woman by referring to Lady Justice Abodo as ‘a vagina from Karamoja, a dead wood, a dimwit, and a shameless careerist’. In another matter, on 14 February, High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana ordered his arrest to serve a two-year jail term for contempt of court, citing his continued attacks on judicial officers, according to The Monitor. Ssekaana ruled that Ssemakadde had made derogatory and scandalous remarks against the judiciary through his social media platforms.

Full report in The Monitor