Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo has officially retired from judicial service after clocking mandatory retirement age of 70 years at Uganda Judiciary.
Owiny-Dollo stepped down on Sunday concluding a judicial career that began in 2008 when he was appointed a judge of the High Court.
He later served on the Court of Appeal before being elevated to Deputy Chief Justice in 2017, and subsequently assumed office as Chief Justice in August 2020.
During his tenure as head of the Judiciary, Owiny-Dollo focused on strengthening the court system through increased funding, improved infrastructure, and the adoption of technology to speed up case handling.
He also promoted mediation, plea bargaining, and small claims courts as alternatives to lengthy litigation processes, initiatives aimed at reducing case backlogs and easing prison congestion.
One of the major developments under his leadership was the relocation of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal to a new twin-tower judicial complex in Kampala, constructed to improve access to justice and enhance service delivery.
Unlike previous transitions, Owiny-Dollo leaves office before the appointment of a new Chief Justice. The Judicial Service Commission has already submitted a list of nominees to the President for consideration. Those shortlisted include Justices Mike Chibita, Catherine Bamugemereire, Monica Mugenyi, Christopher Madrama, and Deputy Chief Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija.
While his tenure was largely praised for judicial reforms, it also attracted criticism, particularly during the 2021 presidential election petition, which exposed internal disagreements within the Supreme Court.
Before joining the Bench, Owiny-Dollo served as a Member of Parliament, participated in drafting the 1995 Constitution, and worked as legal counsel in peace negotiations. He holds academic qualifications in law and conflict resolution.
About Alfonse Owiny Dollo
Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo (born 18 January 1956) is a Ugandan lawyer and judge. He has been the Chief Justice of Uganda since 20 August 2020. He served as the Acting Chief Justice of Uganda from 22 June 2020 and was a deputy Chief Justice from 30 September 2017
He was born on 18 January 1956 in present-day Agago District. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University, and a Diploma in Legal Practice, from the Law Development Centre in Kampala, Uganda’s largest city and capital.
His Master of Arts in conflict resolution, was obtained from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. He also has a certificate in advanced conflict mediation skills, obtained from the Center for Conflict Resolution, in Cape Town, South Africa.
In 1988, Owiny-Dollo served as legal counsel in the peace talks between the then rebel outfit, Uganda People’s Democratic Movement (UPDM), and the government of Uganda. In that capacity, he wrote the peace agreement executed between the government and UPDM, on 3 June 1988, at Pece Stadium, in Gulu.
From 1994 until 1996, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Uganda Constitution. He also served as a member of parliament, representing Agago County in the 6th Parliament (1996–2001).
During the talks between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the National Resistance Movement government of Uganda, from 2006 until 2008, Owiny-Dollo served as legal counsel to Reik Machar, the Vice President of South Sudan, who mediated the talks.
In 2008, he was appointed to the High Court of Uganda,serving in that capacity until 2015.
In 2015, Owiny-Dollo, was promoted to the Court of Appeal of Uganda. However, he couldn’t immediately take up his appointment because he was hearing a terrorism case in the High Court, in which 13 men were accused of killing 76 people in twin bombings in Kampala in 2010. He disposed of that case in May 2016.
In August 2017, the president of Uganda, appointed Owiny-Dollo, as the Deputy Chief Justice and under Ugandan law, the head of Uganda’s Court of Appeal and Uganda’s Constitutional Court.
On 20 August 2020, the president of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed him as the 13th Chief Justice of Uganda, replacing Bart Magunda Katureebe, who clocked the mandatory retirement age of 70, on 19 June 2020.