The Uganda Law Society executive council has washed its hands clean of remarks by their president Isaac Ssemakadde in which he was caught on video abusing the Director of Public Prosecutions, Lady Justice, Jane Frances Abodo.
While addressing a symposium of the People’s Front for Freedom-PFF on Monday, Ssemakadde made remarks targeting the DPP in what many have described as demeaning.
In a statement on Tuesday, the members of the law society council including Phillip Munaabi (Secretary), Samuel Muhumuza (Western Region ), Geoffrey Turyamusiima (Central Region ), and Emmanuel Egaru (Northern Region ) said the remarks do not reflect the official position of the Uganda Law Society.
“This is to categorically state that the said statements are words of Isaac Ssemakadde in his personal capacity and are not reflective of the Executive Council of the Uganda Law Society,” they said in the statement.
They law society council also described the utterances as being vulgar and derogatory , noting that Ssemakadde made them in his own capacity and not official president of the lawyers’ body.
They also said the recent similar statements against the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka don’t represent the law society.
“The undersigned members disassociate themselves from the various vulgar utterances intended to disparage and demean the persons of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Attorney General and other members of the bar.”
The law council said in the statement that it remains committed to maintain the image of the Uganda Law Society and “refrain from personal attacks and focus on the core issues affecting the membership of the Uganda Law Society.”
In a post on his X account, Ssemakadde laughed off the statement by the Uganda Law Society council.
“Storm in a tea cup . The truth will be out,” he posted in a cryptic post.
Throughout his campaigns to become law society president, Ssemakadde, christened the “legal rebel” said there was need to bring the much-needed radical reforms, particularly in strengthening the rule of law in Uganda.
He started on this front by expelling the Attorney General from the Law Society council.
He has since been dragged to court over this move.
The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka recently blasted Ssemakadde over his acts he described as comical.
Kiwanuka branded Ssemakadde’s order as “not grounded in law,” noting that neither Ssemakadde nor the ULS council possess the authority to exercise such power.
“The president of the Uganda Law Society and the council (or any part of it) have no authority to repeal a provision of the law by purporting to expel the Attorney General and the Solicitor General or their representatives from Council,” Ssemakadde said.
“Mr. Ssemakadde might be surprised to discover that carrying the title of ‘president’ of 3,500 or so does not clothe him with authority to legislate for the country or the law society. The law cannot simply be disregarded because one holds the view that it is ‘colonial.”
