Susan Okalany

Last updated

Susan Okalany
Born
Uganda
NationalityUgandan
Alma mater Makerere University
(Bachelor of Laws)
Law Development Centre
(Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice)
OccupationLawyer, judge
Known forLaw
TitleJustice of the High Court of Uganda

Susan Okalany is a Ugandan lawyer and judge who sits on the High Court of Uganda. Before she was appointed to the bench, she was a principal state attorney in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. [1] [2]

Contents

Background and education

Se was born in the Eastern Region of Uganda. She attended local primary and secondary schools. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at Makerere University, Uganda's largest and oldest public university, with a Bachelor of Laws degree, in 1992. The following year, she was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice by the Law Development Centre in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. [3]

Career

In 1994, after graduation from the Law Development Centre, Okalany was employed by the American Embassy in Kampala, as a Consular Assistant. From there, she became a researcher at Forum for Women in Democracy. She then was employed by Ochieng Wellborn and Company Advocates, as a legal assistant. [1] When she left there, she joined the State Attorney's office. She served as the resident state attorney in the districts of Tororo, Iganga, Mbarara and Masaka. [1]

She was then transferred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. While there, she rose through the ranks to become the head of the gender and sexual offences division and also the electoral offences investigations and prosecutions task force. At the time she was appointed to the high court, she was a principal state attorney. [1]

As a prosecutor

Susan Okalany was the lead prosecutor in the Kampala bombings trial. The trial started in September 2011. Two self-confessed conspirators, Mahmoud Mugisha and Edris Nsubuga, pleaded guilty and were convicted. [1] [2]

Another prominent case that she prosecuted was the conviction of Jacqueline Uwera Nsenga for the murder of her husband, Juvenal Kananura Nsenga, whom she ran over with a car, when he opened the gate to their home. [4]

As a judge

In 2016 Okalany was appointed a High Court judge and was assigned to the court's Family Division. She was posted to the Mbale circuit of the court's division. [5] While there, she received death threats in a case related to Bukedea District Cattle Market, leading her to request security assistance from the president of Uganda. [6]

Other considerations

In September 2017, Justice Susan Okalany was bestowed with the Award of Prosecutor of the Year, by the International Association of Prosecutors. The award was in recognition of her role as lead prosecutor of the 11 July 2010 Kampala bombing terrorists. [1] [7]

In June 2020, Susan Okalany was among the four top contenders for the ICC prosecutor job. If elected, she would replace Fatou Bom Bensouda, who as occupied the position since 2012. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

John Wilson Nattubu Tsekooko, was a Ugandan lawyer and judge, who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda, from 1994 until 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart Magunda Katureebe</span>

Bart Magunda Katureebe is a Ugandan judge and the former Chief Justice of Uganda. He was appointed to that position on 5 March 2015. Before that, he was a justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda.

Benjamin Josses Odoki was the tenth Chief Justice of Uganda from 2001 to 2013.

Jotham Tumwesigye is a Ugandan lawyer and judge who has served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda since 2009.

Joan Namazzi Kagezi, was a Ugandan lawyer and prosecutor. She was assassinated on 30 March 2015 in Kiwaatule, a Kampala suburb, on her way home. At the time of her death, she was the assistant director of public prosecution and head of the International Criminal Division in Uganda's Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

Faith Essy Kalikwani Mwondha is a Uganda]n lawyer and judge who has served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda, since 8 September 2015.

Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya, is a Ugandan lawyer and judge who, serves as the Commission Secretary of the presidential Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters in Uganda, established by president Yoweri Museveni in December 2016. Immediately prior to her appointment to this commission, she served as a Registrar, in the Planning and Development Division of the Judiciary of Uganda. There she oversaw the implementation of a multi-million dollar "Good Governance Project", funded by a donation from DANIDA, to the Government of Uganda.

Solome Balungi Bossa, , is a Ugandan judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC). Prior to her election to the ICC, she was a member of the Court of Appeal in Uganda, which also doubles as the Constitutional Court in the Judiciary of Uganda. She was elected to a nine-year term on 5 December 2017 and was sworn in on 9 March 2018. Previously she was appointed to a six-year term on the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court of Appeal of Uganda</span>

The Court of Appeal of Uganda is the second-highest judicial organ in Uganda. It derives its powers from Article 134 of the 1995 Constitution. It is an appellate court when hearing cases appealed from the High Court of Uganda. However, it has original jurisdiction when adjudicating matters relating to the constitutionality of matters before it. All judgments by the Court of Appeal are theoretically appealable to the Supreme Court of Uganda, if the Supreme Court decides to hear the appeal.

Elizabeth Musoke is a Ugandan justice of the Court of Appeal of Uganda, since September 2015.

Simon Mugenyi Byabakama is a Ugandan lawyer and judge, on the Court of Appeal of Uganda, which doubles as the country's Constitutional Court. He was appointed to the court of appeal on 11 October 2015.

Monica Kalyegira Mugenyi is a Ugandan lawyer and judge, who, on 4 October 2019, was nominated to sit on the Uganda Court of Appeal.

Ezekiel Muhanguzi is a Ugandan lawyer and judge, on the Court of Appeal of Uganda, which doubles as the country's Constitutional Court. He was appointed to that position by president Yoweri Museveni on 8 February 2018. Prior to his elevation to the Court of Appeal/Constitutional Court, Justice Muhanguzi served on the High Court of Uganda, retiring from there in February 2017, after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Court of Uganda</span>

The High Court of Uganda, also Uganda High Court, is the third-highest judicial organ in Uganda, behind the Supreme Court of Uganda and the Court of Appeal of Uganda. It has "unlimited original jurisdiction", with powers to try any case of any value or crime of any magnitude. It is also mandated to hear all appeals from all Magistrates Courts. High Court judgements are appealable to the Uganda Court of Appeal.

Christopher Izama Madrama is a Ugandan lawyer and judge, on the Court of Appeal of Uganda, which doubles as the country's Constitutional Court. He was appointed to the court of appeal on 8 February 2018.

Flavia Anglin Senoga, also Flavia Senoga Anglin, is a Ugandan lawyer and judge on the High Court of Uganda. She was appointed to that court by president Yoweri Museveni, on 14 March 2011.

Esta Nambayo is a Ugandan lawyer and judge who was appointed to the High Court of Uganda on 4 October 2019.

Michael Chibita is a Ugandan lawyer and judge, who serves on the Supreme Court of Uganda, effective December 2019. From 15 August 2013 until 6 December 2019, he served as the Director of Public Prosecution in Uganda. Prior to that, he served as a justice of the High Court of Uganda.

Jane Frances Abodo, is a Uganda lawyer and judge who, on 2 April 2020, was appointed as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Uganda. Before her current assignment, she served as a High Court Judge, in the court's Criminal Division, from February 2018 until April 2020.

Flavian Zeija is a Ugandan lawyer, academic and judge, on the High Court of Uganda, who doubles as the country's Principal Judge, effective 25 December 2019. In Uganda, a Principal Judge is responsible for supervising the justices of the High Court, including the assignment of duties to members of the Court. The Principal Judge is also responsible for supervising the Magistrates Courts below the High Court.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Andante Okanya (14 September 2017). "Okalany Wins Global Prosecutor Award". New Vision . Kampala. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 Anthony Wesaka and Yasiin Mugerwa (2 March 2016). "Museveni Appoints 7 Judges". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  3. ↑ Derrick Kiyonga (5 July 2020). "ICC prosecutor nominee Okalany's journey to the international scene". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Michael Odeng and Edward Anyoli (23 September 2014). "Nsenga's Widow Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison". New Vision . Kampala. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  5. ↑ Judiciary of Uganda (20 January 2020). "The Honorable Judges Of The Uganda High Court". Kampala: Judiciary of Uganda . Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. ↑ Anthony Wesaka (6 November 2019). "Mbale judge petitions DPP over death threats". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  7. ↑ Ivan Okuda (13 September 2017). "Justice Okalany wins World Prosecutor of the Year award". Daily Monitor . Kampala. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  8. ↑ Kenneth Kazibwe (3 July 2020). "Ugandan Judge Susan Okalany among four candidates shortlisted for ICC prosecutor job". Kampala: Nile Post Uganda. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.