The President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Isaac K. Ssemakadde, has ordered a sweeping end to centuries-old courtroom traditions, directing lawyers to stop addressing judges with colonial-era honorifics such as “My Lord,” “Your Lordship,” “My Lady,” and “Your Worship,” while also abolishing the practice of bowing before judicial officers.
The directive, issued under Executive Order RNB No. 12 of 2026, took effect immediately on Tuesday, July 7, coinciding with Saba Saba Day—a symbolic date associated with resistance against authoritarianism and the struggle for democratic freedoms across East Africa.
Describing the reforms as a decisive break from colonial legal culture, Ssemakadde argued that Uganda’s justice system must abandon rituals that elevate judges above the citizens they are constitutionally mandated to serve.
Under the new order, members of the Uganda Law Society are prohibited from using traditional courtroom honorifics and ceremonial gestures of deference. Instead, the legal profession is being urged to embrace a culture rooted in constitutional equality, professionalism and mutual respect rather than inherited colonial symbolism.
The executive order also establishes a broad-based consultation involving representatives of the Bench, the Bar and citizens’ associations to review other vestiges of colonial legal practice. Among the issues slated for examination are the continued use of colonial wigs and gowns, foreign-language requirements in Ugandan courts, and other courtroom customs viewed as inconsistent with the country’s modern democratic aspirations.
In addition, the consultation will undertake a comprehensive review of the Judiciary Client Charter with the objective of rewriting it in plain, accessible language that reflects Uganda’s realities and reinforces citizens’ rights to respectful, efficient and timely justice.
Defending the landmark directive, Ssemakadde said the reforms are designed to dismantle symbols of elitism that have long insulated judicial officers from the lived experiences of ordinary Ugandans seeking justice.
«”This Order shall strip away the theatrical props of elitism that insulate judicial officers from the daily discomfort, frustration, and powerlessness experienced by Ugandans in the justice system.»
«”By removing these barriers, we force the powerful to confront the humanity and dignity of the people they serve, or fail to serve,” the executive order stated.»
The directive has already ignited debate within Uganda’s legal community, with supporters describing it as a bold decolonisation of the country’s justice system, while critics argue that long-standing courtroom traditions embody respect for the rule of law and judicial authority rather than colonial subservience.
The executive order has been mandated for immediate publication on the Uganda Law Society’s official platforms and circulated to all members, signalling the beginning of what could become one of the most consequential transformations of courtroom culture in Uganda’s modern legal history.