The Uganda Law Society has abolished the use of colonial-era court honorifics such as “My Lord,” “My Lady” and “Your Worship,” while also banning lawyers from bowing before judges and other judicial officers.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELLAN.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
The directive was issued through an executive order signed on Tuesday by the President of the Uganda Law Society, Isaac Ssemakadde, as part of his campaign to reform what he described as the colonial structure of Uganda’s justice system.
The order, which coincided with Saba Saba Day, an East African commemoration of resistance against authoritarian rule, prohibits members of the Law Society from using titles that suggest “lordship, worship, or feudal superiority” in court proceedings.
It also bars lawyers from engaging in any act of “physical subservience” before judicial officers, including bowing.
According to Ssemakadde, the continued use of such titles and rituals places judicial officers above the citizens they are meant to serve and undermines the principle of accountability in the justice system.
He said the colonial structure of the court system had contributed to what he described as serious failures within Uganda’s judiciary.
“The Judiciary is appalling, marked by executive capture, chronic delays, selective justice, prolonged pre-trial detention, judicial corruption, systemic bias towards the powerful and connected, and deliberate unresponsiveness to enforced disappearances, torture, and attacks against lawyers,” the order stated.
Under the new directive, judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal are to be addressed as “Mr Justice” or “Madam Justice.”
High Court judges are to be addressed as “Mr Judge” or “Madam Judge,” while magistrates and registrars are to be addressed by their office or surname, such as “Magistrate Nakato” or “Registrar Ankunda.”
“The practice of bowing or any other form of physical subservience before judicial officers is henceforth prohibited for all members of the Uganda Law Society,” the order declared.
It further stated that all advocates and litigants appearing before any court or tribunal must stand upright and speak as free citizens.
“No member of the Radical New Bar shall enforce or observe rituals that force Ugandans into postures of humiliation as the powerful enjoy comfort and deference,” the order added.
Ssemakadde described the abolished practices as “theatrical props of elitism” which, according to him, shield the judiciary from accountability to the public it serves.
The move is the latest in a series of reform efforts by the ULS president, who has consistently pushed for the decolonisation of Uganda’s legal system.
In 2024, shortly after his election as president of the Uganda Law Society, Ssemakadde removed the Attorney General and the Solicitor General from the Law Society’s leadership council, arguing that their automatic membership was a remnant of colonial rule.
He described that decision as a bold and necessary step to restore public confidence in the justice system, while dismissing allegations that his methods were extreme.
According to him, his approach is “radical but necessary.”
Ssemakadde is currently running the affairs of the Uganda Law Society from abroad after fleeing to Rwanda last year.
He left Uganda after he was sentenced to two years in prison for contempt of court by Justice Musa Ssekaana, then of the High Court’s Civil Division.
The sentence followed posts made by Ssemakadde between December 11 and 22, 2024, including the use of the hashtag #SsekaanaMustGo.
The judge held that the posts were derogatory, scandalous and amounted to a threat to judicial officers.
Despite the controversy surrounding his leadership, Ssemakadde has continued to pursue reforms aimed at changing the culture and structure of Uganda’s legal profession and judiciary.
LAWBREED — Equipping You For Greater Success!
_______________________________________________________________________
“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof
As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “How to use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion.”
Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating:
"....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic."
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
