KAMPALA, Uganda – The Uganda Law Society has officially abolished the use of colonial-era courtroom customs, ending the requirement for lawyers and litigants to bow before judges or address judicial officers with honorific titles such as "My Lord" and "My Lady."
The directive, titled "Abolition of Colonial Court Culture," took effect on July 7, 2026, coinciding with Saba Saba Day, the East African commemoration of resistance against authoritarianism.
Under the new policy, legal practitioners and court users are no longer expected to address judges as "My Lord," "Your Lordship," "My Lady," "Your Ladyship," "Your Worship," or any similar honorific.
Instead, judicial officers will now be addressed using simplified professional titles. Members of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal will be called "Mr. Justice" or "Madam Justice," while High Court judges will be addressed as "Mr. Judge" or "Madam Judge." Magistrates and registrars will similarly be referred to as "Mr. Magistrate," "Madam Magistrate," "Mr. Registrar," or "Madam Registrar."
The directive also permits the use of a judicial officer's surname with the appropriate title where suitable.
According to the Uganda Law Society, the reforms are part of its commitment to "decolonize justice and restore dignity to the people," aligning with the ideals commemorated on Saba Saba Day.
ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde said advocates and litigants appearing before courts and tribunals should henceforth stand upright and address judicial officers as free citizens rather than observe practices rooted in colonial traditions.
Ssemakadde also cautioned members of the legal profession against enforcing customs that, in his view, compel citizens to assume "a posture of humiliation" while those in authority receive excessive deference.
The directive marks one of the most significant reforms to courtroom etiquette in Uganda's legal system and is expected to generate debate across legal and judicial circles over the balance between tradition, respect for the courts and efforts to decolonize public institutions.
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