Uganda’s judiciary has rejected a move by the country’s lawyers’ association to scrap colonial-era courtroom titles such as “My Lord” and “My Lady,” setting up a dispute over tradition, authority and judicial reform.
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) directed its members to stop using what it called “feudal and colonial honorifics” when addressing judges and magistrates. It also told lawyers to end the practice of bowing before judicial officers, arguing that such customs place judges above the citizens they are meant to serve.
The directive, signed by ULS president Isaac Ssemakadde, said courtroom traditions inherited from Britain had contributed to a culture of humiliation and excessive deference within Uganda’s justice system.
“The practice of bowing or any other form of physical subservience before judicial officers is henceforth prohibited for all members of the Uganda Law Society,” the statement said.
The association said lawyers should instead use plain titles such as “Mr Justice,” “Madam Justice,” “Mr Judge,” “Madam Judge” or “Mr Magistrate,” or refer to judicial officers by surname where appropriate.
“All advocates and litigants appearing before any court or tribunal shall stand upright and speak as free citizens,” the ULS added.
But Uganda’s judiciary pushed back sharply, saying the lawyers’ body had no power to dictate courtroom conduct or instruct judges.
Judiciary spokesperson James Ereemye told the BBC that courts are an independent arm of government and would continue to demand established decorum from lawyers appearing before them.
He dismissed the directive as coming from “a section of young people” who did not understand how institutional reforms should be pursued.
“If you have a point, you use the appropriate forum for discussion and when you make a good case, it forms part of the policy,” Ereemye said.
Uganda, like many former British colonies, inherited large parts of its legal system and courtroom etiquette from the United Kingdom. The debate over titles, robes and other traditions has long been part of wider discussions across Africa about decolonising justice systems.
Similar arguments have taken place in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Ghana. In Kenya, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga notably criticised colonial-style judicial dress and took his oath of office in a suit in 2011.
The Uganda Law Society says its campaign is aimed at restoring dignity to citizens and modernising the justice system, while the judiciary insists any such changes must come through formal institutional channels rather than unilateral directives from lawyers.