SHARIAsource

Country Background

Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa. It is bounded by Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. The capital of Uganda is Kampala. The official language is English. The country's population in 2017 was approximately 39.8 million. Uganda has one of the youngest, most rapidly growing populations in the world. Uganda is a predominantly Christian country, with about 84% of the population Christian and 14% Muslim. Uganda is a member state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Uganda is referred to as a presidential republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The current Constitution of Uganda was adopted in 1995, and it was most recently amended in 2005. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legal system of Uganda is a mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.  

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Uganda. 

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Uganda. However, unofficial sharīʿa courts exist for matters of personal status in rural areas where the majority of the population is Muslim.  

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Uganda has no official school of Islamic law. The majority of the Muslim population in the country is Sunnī.

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Parliament
  • Official Gazette - catalog record
• Executive
  • State House - President and other government officials/agencies
• Judicial
  
  • Judiciary

Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Uganda (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Uganda (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Uganda (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Uganda (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].