The High Court of Uganda, also Uganda High Court, is the third-highest judicial organ in Uganda, behind the Supreme Court of Uganda and the Court of Appeal of Uganda. It has "unlimited original jurisdiction", with powers to try any case of any value or crime of any magnitude. It is also mandated to hear all appeals from all Magistrates Courts. High Court judgements are appealable to the Uganda Court of Appeal.[1]
Location
The High Court of Uganda is located at 2 The Square, in Kampala Central Division, one of the five administrative burroughs of Uganda's capital city Kampala.[1] The geographical coordinates of the offices of the Uganda High Court are: 0°18'57.0"N, 32°34'46.0"E (Latitude:0.315833; Longitude:32.579444).[2]
Overview
The High Court of Uganda is headed by the Principal Judge (PJ), who is responsible for management of the court, including assigning duties to member justices of the court. The PJ is also responsible for supervising the Magistrates Courts below the High Court.[1] The PJ does hear cases herself/himself at his/her discretion. The current Principal Judge of Uganda is Justice Flavian Zeija.[3]
The High Court has the following eight divisions:[1] (a) Anti-Corruption Division (b) Civil Division (c) Commercial Division (d) Criminal Division (e) Execution and Bailiffs Division (f) Family Division (g) International Crimes Division and (h) Land Division.
In addition to the Kampala headquarters, the High Court has the following circuits where cases can be heard closer to the litigants' domicile.[1]
Arua High Court
Fort Portal High Court
Gulu High Court
Hoima High Court
Iganga High Court
Jinja High Court
Kabale High Court
Lira High Court
Luweero High Court
Masaka High Court
Masindi High Court
Mbarara High Court
Mbale High Court
Moroto High Court
Mpigi High Court
Mubende High Court
Mukono High Court
Rukungiri High Court
Soroti High Court
Tororo High Court.
Composition
The Justices of the High Court of Uganda are headed by the Principal Judge of Uganda. The following are the justices of the High Court of Uganda, as of 15 August 2017:[3]
Justices in High Court divisions
The following High court justices are assigned to the divisions of the High Court of Uganda:[3]
Benjamin Kabiito: Chairperson, Judicial Service Commission.
Other high court judges
The following newly-appointed justices of the high court were sworn in on Friday 23 March 2018, by Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, at State House Entebbe.[5][6]