The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has issued a strong statement of solidarity with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), condemning what it describes as a troubling pattern of judicial overreach and intimidation of legal practitioners across Africa.
In a letter addressed to NBA President Afam Osigwe, ULS President Isaac K. Ssemakadde criticised a recent incident at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where a judge allegedly ordered a lawyer to kneel in court.
Ssemakadde described the directive as “humiliation” rather than discipline, arguing that it undermines the dignity of the legal profession and violates fundamental principles of justice.
“The NBA has spoken clearly and correctly,” Ssemakadde wrote. “Such conduct violates every tenet of due process, professional dignity, and the rule of law. We stand with you, shoulder to shoulder.”
The ULS leader, who is currently living in exile, used the letter to draw parallels with his own experiences in Uganda.
He revealed that he was convicted in absentia by the High Court in Kampala and sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly “scandalising the judiciary” after refusing to comply with an order to kneel and apologise for criticising judicial officers.
According to Ssemakadde, the case is part of a broader pattern of intimidation, including multiple arrest warrants and what he termed administrative interference with his right to appeal.
He said these actions forced him to shut down his legal practice and flee the country.
“This is not a Nigerian aberration,” he warned. “It is a continental epidemic,” pointing to similar trends in several African countries where, he said, judicial authority is increasingly enforced through fear rather than reason.
The ULS further argued that outdated colonial-era offences such as “scandalising the judiciary” are being weaponised to silence dissent, despite being abolished in jurisdictions like the United Kingdom.
The letter calls for sweeping reforms to safeguard the independence of both the Bar and the Bench.
Among the proposals put forward are mandatory installation of cameras in courtrooms, enhanced judicial ethics training, and the establishment of independent disciplinary bodies with representation from both lawyers and judges.
The ULS also called for the abolition of offences that criminalise criticism of the judiciary and the creation of transparent systems for handling complaints against judicial officers.
Ssemakadde warned that failure to address these issues risks eroding public confidence in the justice system and discouraging lawyers from robustly defending their clients.
“When a judge compels an advocate to kneel, he does not merely bruise one lawyer’s pride; he wounds the entire profession,” he said.
The ULS reaffirmed its commitment to working with the NBA and other bar associations across Africa to defend the rule of law and protect the independence of legal practitioners.
“The temple of justice must never again demand genuflection,” the letter concludes. “It must demand courage.”
