Chief Justice Zeija Warns Against Social Media Attacks on Judicial Officers

Uganda’s Chief Justice, Dr Flavian Zeija, has warned against attacks on judicial officers on social media, saying such actions will not be tolerated.

Speaking at the opening of the New Law Year at the Judiciary headquarters in Kampala on Thursday, February 5, Justice Zeija said judges already face immense pressure while handling cases and should not be subjected to further harassment online.

“I will not allow our judges, in addition to the trauma they face while hearing cases, to suffer social media trauma. I will take action against the culprits,” Zeija said.

His remarks come just two days after city lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi was charged and remanded over allegations of spreading malicious information about the Chief Justice on TikTok. Mabirizi allegedly claimed that Zeija was a conman and a fraudster who sold his property to secure the position of Principal Judge.

Justice Zeija was appointed Chief Justice in January by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, succeeding Alphonse Owiny-Dollo, who retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Judiciary Priorities for the New Law Year

The Chief Justice outlined key priorities for the Judiciary in the new law year, including:

▪️ Expanding access to justice by operationalising more courts
▪️ Establishing a delivery unit to monitor Judiciary projects
▪️ Conducting an independent court users’ survey
▪️ Prioritising judicial well-being to improve performance
▪️ Recruiting more judicial officers
▪️ Championing legal reforms
▪️ Accelerating court open days
▪️ Restricting the Industrial Court to speedy resolution of labour disputes
▪️ Enhancing the monetary jurisdiction of magistrates’ courts to reduce case congestion in the High Court

Overall, the Judiciary enters the New Law Year with a renewed focus on efficiency, accessibility and accountability, as leaders across government and the legal profession called for professionalism, faster case disposal and stronger collaboration to address the growing case backlog and improve the administration of justice in the country.