news 19 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Law Society Condemns Nigerian Judge's Order for Lawyer to Kneel in Court
The Uganda Law Society has voiced strong support for the Nigerian Bar Association after a judge in Abuja ordered a lawyer to kneel during a court session. ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde labeled the act as judicial overreach that humiliates the legal profession and undermines the rule of law. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-law-society-slams-nigerian-judge-for-ordering-lawyer-to-kneel-in-courtroom-5396536
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has stood in solidarity with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over a courtroom incident in Abuja where Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court directed a lawyer to kneel.
This occurred during the trial of activist Omoyele Sowore. Lawyer Marshall Abubakar reportedly refused to kneel after the defense sought a longer adjournment following the prosecution’s case closure.
ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde, issuing the statement from exile, called the judge’s order a clear violation of professional dignity. ‘No judge has the power to order a lawyer to kneel. It was humiliation, not discipline,’ he stated.
Ssemakadde warned that such actions chill advocacy, erode public trust in justice, and signal fear over reason in courts. He highlighted this as part of a wider African trend of judicial intimidation against lawyers.
He referenced his own conviction in absentia last year in Kampala for scandalizing the judiciary, describing it as a tool to suppress legal dissent.
The ULS position joins calls from various legal groups for judicial restraint and respect for lawyers’ dignity in proceedings.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)