The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Isaac Lino Anguzu, requesting him to withdraw criminal charges against Mr. Nsubuga Andrew Ssekibaamu Jenkins, arguing that the young lawyer is a victim of systemic delays in the country’s legal enrollment process rather than a criminal.
In an open letter dated August 6, 2026, ULS President Isaac K. Ssemakadde urged the DPP to enter a nolle prosequi in Buganda Road Criminal Case No. 896 of 2026, in which Nsubuga is charged with practising as an advocate while unqualified and holding himself out as qualified under the Advocates Act.
According to the Society, Nsubuga, a 28-year-old graduate of Nkumba University School of Law and holder of a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC), had already been approved for a certificate of eligibility but was caught up in prolonged administrative delays that have prevented many qualified law graduates from completing formal enrollment.
The ULS argues that the delays at the Law Development Centre and the Law Council have created a backlog affecting thousands of aspiring advocates, leaving many unable to legally practise despite meeting the academic and professional requirements. It says the problem stems from bureaucratic bottlenecks rather than wrongdoing by the affected graduates.
The Society further noted that although the Judiciary’s Client Charter commits to processing advocate licences within seven working days, the process often takes between three and four months. It also claimed that more than 5,000 lawyers from 20 accredited universities remain stuck in the enrollment process despite recent efforts by the Law Council to increase admissions.
Ssemakadde argued that prosecuting young lawyers who are victims of these institutional delays is unfair, unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. He said criminal charges only worsen the challenges facing graduates who have already fulfilled the required qualifications but cannot complete enrollment due to circumstances beyond their control.
The ULS also warned that continuing such prosecutions undermines ongoing efforts to reform the legal enrollment system and urged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to adopt a more humane approach while broader reforms are pursued.
The Society has therefore called on the DPP to discontinue all charges against Nsubuga Andrew Ssekibaamu Jenkins, saying doing so would serve the interests of justice and acknowledge the systemic failures that continue to affect many young lawyers across Uganda
