Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo hangs up his robes

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After 17 years in judiciary service, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo officially hangs up his robes on Sunday, as he celebrates his 70th birthday.

The chief justice, just like other justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Deputy Chief Justice, retires at 70 years, in accordance with Article 144(1)(a) of the Constitution.

Born on January 18, 1956, in present-day Agago district, Owiny-Dollo’s judicial journey commenced in 2008 when he was appointed as a judge of the High Court.

In 2015, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal. In 2017, he was appointed deputy chief justice, replacing Steven Kavuma. In August 2020, he was appointed chief justice, replacing Bart Katureebe.

However, unlike his predecessor, Owiny-Dollo leaves office before his successor has been appointed.

This is because the appointing authority is yet to pick the next chief justice from the list of names which New Vision has since been told were forwarded to the President by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for consideration.

When contacted, Dr Rose Nassali Lukwago, the JSC permanent secretary, said a new chief justice will soon be appointed. “Appointing a chief justice is a process. You know that the appointing authority is the President and has been busy with the campaigns. However, I want to assure members of the public that a new chief justice will soon be appointed,” Lukwago said.

Contenders

Potential contenders to replace Owiny-Dollo include justices Mike Chibita, Catherine Bamugemereire, Monica Mugenyi, Christopher Madrama and Dr Flavian Zeija, the current deputy chief justice.

Article 143(1) of the Constitution states that a person shall be qualified for appointment as chief justice if he or she has served as a justice of the Supreme Court or a court having a similar jurisdiction or has practiced as an advocate for not less than 20 years before a court, having unlimited jurisdiction in both civil and criminal matters.

Owiny-dollo speaks out

Speaking after endorsing a settlement agreement reached between the family of the late Sir Edward Muteesa II and the late city tycoon Dr Muhammad Kasasa over the Mutungo land dispute on Tuesday, Owiny Dollo confirmed that he will leave office on Sunday. “Let me thank all of you for placing trust in me to help resolve this long-standing land dispute. On Sunday, I will leave this office. So, this might be one of the last things I have done as chief justice, although it’s a mediation,” he said.

Owiny-dollo speaks Tenure

In his five-year tenure as chief justice, Owiny-Dollo will be remembered for advocating the enhancement of the Judiciary’s budget. At the time of assuming office, the Judiciary’s budget stood at sh199b, but it has since been increased to sh442b, enabling the expansion of human resource, technology and improved infrastructure, among others. However, Owiny-Dollo’s file at the helm of the Judiciary closes with a stain, following a sharp falling out with Supreme Court Justice Esther Kisaakye during the hearing of the 2021 presidential election petition. Kisaakye accused Owiny Dollo of not only blocking her from reading her dissenting ruling, but also ordering the confiscation of her file. President Yoweri Museveni appointed a seven-man tribunal to investigate Kisaakye at the recommendation of JSC. However, Owiny-Dollo leaves office before the matter has been determined.

About Owiny-Dollo

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo holds a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University and a diploma in legal practice awarded by the Law Development Centre of Kampala. He also holds a master of arts in Conflict Resolution awarded by the University of Bradford in the UK. The chief justice also has a certificate in advanced conflict mediation skills awarded by the Centre for Conflict Resolution, South Africa.

Owiny-Dollo played a critical role as legal counsel in the peace talks between the Uganda People’s Democratic Movement (UPDM) and the Government of Uganda.

The UPDM was the political wing of the Uganda People’s Democratic Army (UPDA), a rebel group formed by ethnic Acholi military leaders in the late 1980s, led by former prime minister Eric Otema-Allimadi, aiming at opposing the ruling National Resistance Army government and seeking political representation. The group eventually signed peace accords for soldier integration, but faced internal splits and unresolved issues that fed into later conflicts, like those involving the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Owiny-Dollo wrote the peace agreement that was executed between the Government and UPDM on June 3, 1988, at Pece Stadium, in Gulu. From 1994 to 1996, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Constitution. He also served as a Member of Parliament, representing Agago county in the Sixth Parliament (1996–2001).

During the talks between the LRA and the Government from 2006 until 2008, Owiny-Dollo served as legal counsel to Riek Machar, the vice-president of South Sudan, who mediated the talks.