The Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, has called for enhanced judicial capacity to effectively handle emerging communication-related offences and disputes arising from Uganda’s rapidly evolving digital environment.
He made the call earlier today while opening a three-day training for justice actors at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa, organised by the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) in collaboration with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). The training focuses on developments in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector and their implications for the administration of justice, including digital and electronic evidence.
The Deputy Chief Justice said courts are increasingly handling matters where transactions and communications occur entirely online, evidence exists only in electronic form and alleged offenders may be beyond Uganda’s jurisdiction. He emphasised the need for Judicial Officers to develop sufficient technological and forensic literacy to assess the authenticity, integrity, admissibility, reliability and chain of custody of digital evidence.
He highlighted emerging challenges including cybercrime, phishing, unlawful access to computer systems, identity-related offences, deepfakes, digitally manipulated content, online defamation, privacy violations and attribution of digital communications. He urged courts to balance the protection of rights such as privacy and reputation with constitutional freedoms, particularly freedom of expression.
The Deputy Chief Justice also noted the growing importance of digital financial services, including mobile money and electronic payments, which have increased financial inclusion while creating new challenges involving fraud, impersonation, unlawful transfers, consumer protection and tracing digital transactions. He linked stronger judicial ICT capacity to Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan and Tenfold Growth Strategy, noting that public and investor confidence in the digital economy depends on effective protection of rights and fair resolution of technology-related disputes.
The UCC Executive Director, Hon. George William Nyombi Thembo, said the Commission’s mandate covers telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and courier services and online data communications. He noted that technological advancement has also contributed to electronic fraud, cybercrime, cyber harassment, cyberstalking, identity breaches, misinformation and disinformation. He called for stronger collaboration between UCC and the Judiciary in addressing these emerging challenges.
Hon. Nyombi revealed that since 2018, UCC lawyers licensed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions have prosecuted more than 100 communication-related cases, the majority resulting in convictions. He added that UCC is also licensed by the Law Council as a law firm and has 16 advocates handling its civil litigation.
The Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, said the engagement would strengthen understanding of the rapidly evolving communications sector and support practical approaches to improving adjudication. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with the Judiciary and other stakeholders to promote access to justice and a robust communications sector.
The Chairperson of the JTI Governing Council and Supreme Court Justice, Justice Mike Chibita, said communication-related disputes often have legal, technological, professional and social dimensions. He explained that the training was expanded to include justice actors from different Divisions and institutions, including the International Crimes Division, Anti-Corruption Division, prosecutors and private practitioners.
Justice Chibita stressed that judicial independence does not mean judicial isolation, noting that courts must understand the technical and institutional environment in which disputes arise while maintaining their independence and impartiality. He welcomed the inclusion of practical sessions and simulations to enhance understanding of how digital evidence is generated, preserved, obtained, presented and challenged.
JTI Executive Director, Justice Prof. Andrew Khaukha, said the training brings together judges, prosecutors, investigators, regulators and practitioners because different justice actors encounter different stages of the same technology-related dispute. He highlighted the increasing demand for cyber and digital forensic analysis and the need for continuous training as technology evolves.
The training will cover digital evidence, cybercrime, phishing, deepfakes, attribution of digital communications, online defamation, privacy, data protection, consumer protection and digital financial transactions, strengthening the capacity of justice actors to respond effectively to emerging technology-driven disputes.
Posted 19th, August 2026
