The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has abolished what it described as “colonial court culture,” banning lawyers from bowing to judges and scrapping the use of traditional honorifics such as “My Lord,” “Your Lordship,” and “Your Worship” in courtrooms.
The directive, contained in an Executive Order issued by ULS President Isaac K. Ssemakadde, SAN, took immediate effect on July 7, 2026, to coincide with Saba Saba Day, East Africa’s annual commemoration of resistance against authoritarianism and the struggle for civil liberties.
In the order titled “Abolition of Colonial Court Culture,” the legal body said Uganda’s justice system has been weakened by executive interference, judicial corruption, prolonged delays, selective justice, and attacks on lawyers, reports AFP.
It also accused the military of undermining judicial independence through unlawful arrests, court invasions, detention of civilians, obstruction of lawyers and journalists, and the trial of civilians before military tribunals.
According to the ULS, these systemic failures have been sustained by outdated courtroom traditions that elevate judicial officers above citizens through compulsory displays of deference.
Under the new directive, lawyers are prohibited from bowing or engaging in any form of physical subservience before judges and other judicial officers.
The society also abolished colonial-era honorifics, including “My Lord,” “Your Lordship,” “My Lady,” “Your Ladyship,” and “Your Worship.”
Instead, judicial officers are to be addressed as “Mr. Justice” or “Madam Justice” for members of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal; “Mr. Judge” or “Madam Judge” for High Court judges; “Mr. Magistrate” or “Madam Magistrate” for magistrates; and “Mr. Registrar” or “Madam Registrar” for registrars. Lawyers may also address judicial officers by their surnames where appropriate.
The ULS further directed advocates and litigants to “stand upright and speak as free citizens,” insisting that courtroom proceedings should uphold equality and dignity rather than reinforce colonial-era hierarchies.
As part of the reforms, the society announced a nationwide consultation to begin within 90 days to review judicial dress, courtroom language and service standards.
The consultation will examine the continued use of colonial wigs, gowns and foreign-language requirements, with a view to adopting alternatives that better reflect Uganda’s history, culture and climate. It will also review and rewrite the Judiciary Client Charter in plain language to guarantee citizens’ rights to respect, timely service, access to information and effective redress.
Explaining the objective of the reforms, Ssemakadde said the order seeks to dismantle symbols of elitism within the judiciary and foster a justice system in which judicial officers relate to citizens as equals under the law rather than as subjects expected to display ritual deference.
