DOC /OS(XXXIII)/ 324c /II
followed by all lower courts. The Honorable the Chief Justice is the head of the Supreme
Court, as well as the Judiciary.
is a child of the 1995 Constitution. It is a third court of record, and
The Court of Appeal
interpositioned between the Supreme Court and the High Court. The Court of Appeal as the
titles suggests has appellate jurisdiction over the High Court. It is not a Court of first instance
except when hearing constitutional cases since it is a Constitutional Court too. The Court of
Appeal of Uganda came into being following the promulgation of the Constitution, and the
enactment of the Judicature Statute, 1996. Article 134 established the structure of the Court
of Appeal to consist of the Deputy Chief Justice, and such number of Justices of Appeal not
being less than seven as Parliament may by law prescribe. The Court of Appeal does not
exercise original jurisdiction in any Civil or Criminal matters except when sitting as a
Constitutional Court under powers conferred on it by Article 137(1) of the Constitutional.
of Uganda is established by Article 138 of the Constitution and stands as a
The High Court
symbol of Justice. It is the third court of record in order of hierarchy and has unlimited original
jurisdiction i.e. it can try any case of any value or crime of any magnitude in Uganda. Appeals
from all Magistrates Courts go to the High Court. The High Court is headed by the
Honourable Principal Judge and is responsible for the administration of the court and has
general supervisory powers over Magistrate's courts. The decentralisation of the High Court
has led to its services brought nearer to the people in the seven circuits at Fort Portal, Gulu,
Jinja, Masaka, Mbale, Mbarara and Nakawa. There are plans to create more circuits in the
nearby future. The High Court of Uganda has a total of 29 Judges.
Magistrate's Courts are the lowest subordinate's courts whose decisions are subject to
review by the High Court. There are three levels of Magistrates courts: Chief Magistrates,
Magistrates Grade I and Magistrates Grade II. These courts handle the bulk of cases in
Uganda. Presently the country is divided into 26 Chief Magisterial areas administered by
Chief Magistrates who have general powers of supervision over all magisterial courts within
the area of their jurisdiction.
There are 27 Chief Magistrates' Courts, 52 Magistrates' Grade I Courts and 428 Magistrates'
Grade II Courts.
International treaties
Uganda is party to the following international instruments protecting Human Rights:
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
• African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — Optional Protocol 1
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading
Treatment or Punishment
• Convention on the Rights of the Child — Optional Protocol on the involvement
of children in armed conflicts — Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers
and Members of Their Families — will enter into force when 20 states have
•
•
accepted it.
Prisons and police stations visited
Central government prisons
N° of prisoners