Local Council Courts in Uganda

Introduction

Local Council Courts (LCCs) play an important role in Uganda's legal system by resolving community-level disputes and minor criminal cases. Established under the Local Council Courts Act of 2006, LCCs are meant to provide accessible, community-based justice across Uganda's local governments. They operate under the supervision of Chief Magistrates, who act on behalf of the High Court.

Structure and Operation

LCCs are organized into three levels: Local Council I (village level), Local Council II (parish level), and Local Council III (town, division, or sub-county level). Each level has specific rules about who can preside, the types of cases they can handle, and the composition of the court.

LC I and LC II Courts are composed of five members, including two women. Decisions are made either by consensus or majority vote. LC III courts are made up of three members, one of whom must be a woman. Unlike LC I and LC II courts, the members are appointed by the LC III Chairperson, with approval from the LC III Council.

Advocates are not allowed to represent individuals in these courts unless the case involves a local bye-law. In all cases, LCCs must maintain order, allow witnesses, and ensure that the minimum number of court members are always present to hear a case.

Jurisdiction and Powers

LCCs are empowered to handle both minor criminal cases and civil disputes, but with limitations. They can only handle cases where the value of the property in question does not exceed 2,000,000 Uganda Shillings.

Criminal Cases that can be handled by these courts include minor offenses such as fighting or causing commotion, non-serious assaults, theft, property damage, domestic violence and abuse. They can also preside over civil cases that involve unpaid debts, contractual disputes, trespassing or damage to property and taking someone’s property without permission.

LCCs also have jurisdiction over customary law disputes such as land disputes under customary tenure, marital disputes, divorce, child neglect, or parentage issues, disputes about customary heirs among others.

In the resolution of both criminal and civil disputes, LCCs have a variety of remedies that they can offer such as restoration of relationships between parties, compensation for damages, return of stolen or lost property to its rightful owner, imposing community service, issuing of apologies or cautioning the wrongdoer.

How to File a Complaint

Anyone wishing to file a complaint with the Local Council Court must lodge it with the LC I Court in the area where the incident occurred or where the accused or complainant resides. The complaint can be oral or written, though oral complaints must be written down and signed by the LC Chairperson or Secretary, along with the complainant. Once a complaint is filed, a summons is issued to the accused, outlining the complaint, location, and time for the hearing.

LCCs are designed to provide fast and efficient justice at the community level, giving Ugandans an accessible legal avenue for resolving minor disputes and upholding justice.