Court of Appeal Starts Two-Day Session to Hear 24 Criminal Appeals

What the report says

The Court of Appeal in Uganda has begun a two-day criminal appeals session to consider 24 cases before a three-judge panel. According to the court’s cause list, the hearings started on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, and are due to end on Wednesday, August 19. The panel is made up of Justice Asa Mugenyi, Lady Justice Florence Nakachwa and Lady Justice Stella Alibateese.

The largest share of the docket involves aggravated defilement, with 10 appeals listed. Eight murder appeals are also scheduled, alongside three cases on aggravated robbery, two appeals concerning diversion of public resources and one appeal arising from a rape conviction. The session includes at least one appellant challenging a death sentence and another contesting a life sentence for aggravated defilement.

The hearing is part of the Court of Appeal’s regular criminal appeals work, through which convicted persons seek review of lower-court decisions on guilt or sentence. The article notes that appellants will join the proceedings virtually, while their lawyers will attend in person.

The development highlights the broad range of serious criminal matters that reach the appellate court and the continued use of remote participation in court proceedings. That broader context is relevant because criminal appeal sessions can affect both individual sentences and wider confidence in the justice system.