Lawyer Robert Rutaro Withdraws Case Against ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde, Citing Reconciliation and Peace Efforts

Lawyer Robert Rutaro has withdrawn a civil suit he had filed against the Uganda Law Society-ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde for expelling the Attorney General and Solicitor General representatives from the  ULS  Council.

Rutaro on Wednesday through his lawyers of MC Ford Advocates withdrew the suit in a notice submitted before the Court saying that it was not in bad faith but for the peace of the lawyers’ professional body.

“I  have withdrawn my case against him in good faith and as a gesture of reconciliation. I know some of you big-mouthed haters/enemies of peace will say I have eaten, please talk as you want. It’s your mouth for which I have no control”,  Rutaro said after withdrawing the matter.

He added that “my action is informed by my desire to make peace with my President of ULS, in the interest of and for the good of our association ULS and all members generally”.

Rutaro said he has further instructed his lawyers to proceed and inform the Director of Public Prosecutions -DPP that he has equally lost interest henceforth in the criminal matter he had also commenced against Ssemakadde earlier on by way of private prosecution.

“So the DPP should immediately proceed and terminate proceedings thereof immediately. Let Ssemakadde rule us in Peace”.

In his cases before the Court, Rutaro had said Ssemakadde and ULS on October 14th issued an executive order number one of 2024 in which they irregularly expelled the Attorney General of the Republic and the Solicitor General From the Council and as such he was reportedly aggrieved for the decision he described as illegal.

He said they were expelled without following due process as laid down in the governing law. He had asked the Court to quash and set aside the order by way of judicial review.

The Attorney General has since described the actions of Ssemakadde as not only comical but illegal as the conscription of the Attorney General is by law but not by choice.

The withdrawal of charges and a civil suit against Ssemakadde come at a time when a section of lawyers are against him over vulgar language used against the Director of Public Prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo while at the FDC Katonga Faction offices in Kampala.

On Tuesday, four of the 8 surviving  ULS Council members who remained after the suspension of the Attorney General and Solicitor General representatives, issued a statement saying that the views and vulgarized statements hurled against DPP Abodo,  the Attorney General and ULS Council were his as a person but neither for the society or Executive Council members as a whole.

The four who disagreed with Ssemakadde included Phillip Munaabi, the Secretary ULS, Geoffrey Turyamusiima Central Region Representative, Samuel Muhumuza Western Region Representative and Emmanuel Egaru the Northern Region representative.

On Wednesday, the female lawyers under their umbrella the Female Lawyers Network issued a statement condemning the words that went viral in a video clip circulating on social media platforms.

The female lawyers have equally demanded an apology from their President Ssemakadde.

“It has come to our attention that, on several occasions and at various events, the President of the ULS has used derogatory and disrespectful language, including referring to Justice Abodo in terms that are not only offensive and gender insensitive but also laden with tribal undertones. The reference to her as a “Karamojong vagina” is reprehensible, unprofessional, and contrary to the decorum expected of the head of a respected legal institution like the ULS”, said the lawyers.

Their statement adds that “this behaviour is not only a direct attack on the competence and dignity of Hon. Justice Abodo but also amounts to perpetuating gender-based discrimination against the entire female legal fraternity. It undermines the values of equality, professionalism, and respect that are foundational to the legal profession and the Uganda Law Society”.

The withdrawal of the case against Ssemakadde now leaves the case of Joshua Byamazima and Tony Tumukunde as the only civil matter against him challenging the order to dismiss the Attorney General from the Council.

Ssemakadde in his executive order expelled the Attorney General to pave the way for investigations against him (AG) whom the lawyers accused of misconduct, misadvising the government and causing a loss of billions of shillings to the government. He also said the decision was made to safeguard the independence of the ULS and also for the good of the public.