Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda Law Society (ULS) President, Isaac Ssemakadde, has condemned what he described as judicial misconduct after a judge in Nigeria reportedly ordered a lawyer to kneel in court, warning that such actions threaten the rule of law across Africa.
In a March 18, 2026, letter to his counterpart, Mazi Adam Osigwe, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ssemakadde said the Uganda Law Society stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Nigerian lawyers in rejecting what he described as humiliation disguised as discipline.
“No judge possesses the lawful power to order a legal practitioner to kneel… it was humiliation,” Ssemakadde wrote, aligning with the NBA’s position that the directive violated due process and professional dignity.
The ULS President directly criticised the conduct of Justice Mohammed Umar, arguing that compelling a lawyer to kneel undermines not just individual dignity but the integrity of the entire legal system.
“When a judge compels an advocate to kneel before the Court… he wounds the entire profession, chills fearless advocacy, and signals that justice is dispensed by fear, not reason.”
He warned that such actions erode public confidence in the judiciary and risk turning courtrooms into spaces of intimidation rather than justice.
Ssemakadde said the incident in Nigeria is not isolated but reflects a broader trend across the continent. “This is not a Nigerian aberration. It is a continental epidemic… from Kampala to Nairobi, Accra to Freetown,” he noted.
The letter points to what ULS describes as growing judicial intolerance, including bullying conduct, forced displays of submission, and the misuse of archaic laws such as “scandalising the judiciary” to silence critics.
Ssemakadde revealed that he is currently living in exile following his own conviction in Uganda linked to criticism of judicial officers. “I was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison in absentia… My actual offence was refusing to kneel and apologise,” he stated.
He claimed that continued legal pressure and administrative actions forced him to close his practice and leave the country.
The Uganda Law Society is now calling for sweeping reforms across African judiciaries, including stronger judicial accountability, independent disciplinary mechanisms, and adherence to international standards on the independence of lawyers and judges.
Ssemakadde emphasized that legal systems must protect dissent rather than suppress it, urging bar associations across Africa to act collectively. “The temple of justice must never again demand genuflection. It must demand courage.”
ULS reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Nigerian Bar Association and other continental bodies to defend the independence of the legal profession.
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