By Our Reporter,
KAMPALA
The High Court in Kampala has sentenced Uganda Law Society president Isaac Ssemakadde to two years in prison for contempt of court. The ruling, delivered by Justice Musa Ssekaana, follows a series of social media posts in which Ssemakadde made derogatory remarks about the judge and the judiciary.
“The protection of courts from attacks of this kind, especially when cases are pending, is vital. Such actions erode public confidence in the judiciary.”
The case was filed by Hashim Mugisha, who accused Ssemakadde of undermining the court’s authority with offensive posts on X, formerly Twitter. In one of the posts, Ssemakadde referred to Justice Ssekaana in highly inappropriate terms and made false allegations of sexual harassment.
Justice Ssekaana emphasized that while free speech is protected, it must not be used to discredit the judiciary or influence ongoing legal proceedings.
“Defamatory and intimidating statements aimed at influencing judicial outcomes must not be tolerated.”
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo also weighed in, warning against personal attacks on judicial officers.
“Criticism is acceptable, but vulgar and primitive assaults on the judiciary will not be tolerated.”
“Someone abuses you, makes you feel stupid, and then comes to your house expecting business as usual,” CJ Owinyi added.
In addition to his prison sentence, Ssemakadde has been ordered to bear the costs of the case. The ruling underscores the judiciary’s stance against online attacks that seek to undermine its independence.
