ARUA RESIDENTS OPPOSE PETITION TO NULLIFY LC COURTS

Amanya Abdu, a lawyer with Manzi and Company Advocates speaking during an interview at the chambers.

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

Lawyers and members of the public in Arua City have rejected a petition seeking to nullify Local Council (LC) courts, warning that such a move could undermine access to justice, especially at the grassroots level.

The petition, filed on April 16, 2026 before the Constitutional Court by lawyer Michael Aboneka, Martins Kirya, and the Walezi Wa Katiba Foundation, challenges the legality of LC courts under the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. The applicants argue that LC courts operate outside the constitutional framework and undermine judicial independence.

They cite Articles 126(1) and 129(1) and raise concerns under Article 128(1), as well as Article 28 on the right to a fair hearing due to restrictions on legal representation.

The petition also questions the jurisdiction of LC courts under the Local Council Courts Act, particularly in handling land and civil disputes without sufficient legal safeguards.

The applicants are seeking to have the courts declared unconstitutional and their mandate nullified. The Attorney General, listed as the respondent, had not responded by the time of publication, and no hearing date has been set.

Despite the legal challenge, local leaders and practitioners in Arua have strongly opposed the move. Amanya Abdu, a lawyer with Manzi and Company Advocates, emphasized the importance of LC courts in delivering timely justice.

“It is fundamental that we maintain the Local Council courts because right now the country is grappling with case backlog. It will be embarrassing to try a chicken case in the High Court for over five years, yet the LC courts would dispense this in a day,” he said.

Arua City Councilor Godfrey Anguyo also dismissed the petition, arguing that it does not reflect the interests of ordinary citizens.

“The argument these lawyers are bringing to nullify the LC courts at the Constitutional Court, in my view, is not in the interest of the people because it is going to cause delay in offering justice to the people,” Anguyo explained.

Local Council courts, established under the Local Council Courts Act, 2006, operate at village, parish, town, division, and sub-county levels to provide accessible and affordable justice through mediation and reconciliation.

Augustino Acema, LC Chairperson of Ewanyapa Cell, warned that scrapping the courts would have serious consequences for communities. “It will affect the community, especially if the LC courts are not in existence. Who will help link cases to the higher-ranking courts?” he questioned.

According to the Ministry of Local Government, about 80 percent of Ugandans access justice through LC courts, which handle approximately 80,000 cases weekly across the country highlighting their critical role in Uganda’s justice system.