By Kabuye Ronald
The High Court has halted the implementation of orders issued by the Law Council Disciplinary Committee against lawyer Richard Buzibira, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Civil Division of the High Court on Monday issued an order staying the Law Council’s decision that had struck Buzibira off the roll of advocates.
“The execution of all orders of the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Council in LCD No. 94 of 2017 are hereby stayed pending the hearing and determination of Miscellaneous Appeal No. 0007 of 2026,” the court order reads.
The orders arise from an appeal filed by Buzibira challenging the decision of the lawyers’ disciplinary body.
On May 13, 2026, the Law Council Disciplinary Committee struck Buzibira off the roll of advocates over alleged professional misconduct.
The now-suspended orders had directed Buzibira to stop practising law, pay Shs10 million to the complainant, Pastor Daniel Walugembe, cover legal costs incurred by the complainant, and pay an additional Shs2 million in costs to the Law Council.
Court documents indicate that Buzibira argues he was condemned unheard and denied a fair hearing before the disciplinary committee.
He contends that he was not given an opportunity to testify in his defence or cross-examine the complainant before the committee reached its decision.
“I was neither given an opportunity to be heard on my defence nor allowed to cross-examine the respondent (Walugembe) on all allegations made by him before the committee made its decision. Neither my lawyers nor I were served with the hearing notes for the day when the Disciplinary Committee decided to hear the complaint in my absence,” Buzibira states in his sworn affidavit.
Buzibira further argues that the committee relied on a police report whose author neither appeared before the committee nor subjected the contents of the report to cross-examination.
“The Disciplinary Committee based its decision on a report whose author did not tender it before the committee and whose contents had never been tested through cross-examination before any court,” the affidavit states.
He also faults the committee for relying on a consent judgment allegedly entered into between the complainant and one Sunday Joseph, arguing that neither the Ministry nor the Uganda Land Commission were parties to the consent judgment.
Meanwhile, Buzibira’s appeal is expected to be heard and determined by a panel of three High Court judges, who are yet to be appointed.
