Judicial Immunity and Corruption in Uganda’s Judiciary: A Critical Examination

Judicial immunity, enshrined in Article 128 sub-article 4 of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution, is intended to protect judicial independence, but critics argue it can create opportunities for impunity and corruption. This study critically examines the relationship between judicial immunity and corruption in Uganda’s judiciary by combining doctrinal legal analysis with secondary empirical evidence from court decisions, institutional reports, and public perception surveys. Guided by Principal-Agent Theory, the paper asks whether and how immunity undermines accountability and public trust. Key findings show that, while immunity remains essential to protect impartial adjudication, gaps in enforcement, limited transparency in disciplinary processes, and systemic inefficiencies have at times allowed misconduct to persist and weakened public confidence in the courts. Reforms such as the Anti-Corruption Division and the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) have improved processes but have not eliminated corruption because of resource constraints and political interference. The article concludes that preserving judicial independence requires strengthening complementary accountability mechanisms: transparent, time-bound disciplinary procedures; continuous judicial ethics training; guaranteed institutional and financial autonomy; clearer statutory limits on immunity; and improved inter-agency coordination. Implementing these reforms would better align immunity with accountability and restore public trust in Uganda’s judiciary.