A Ugandan magistrate has won a defamation case against his mother and brother, with the court awarding him Shs 20 million in general damages after finding that they published false and damaging allegations about him.
Justice Joanita Bushara held that the statements, letters and online publications targeted at Steven Johnson Waidhuuba, a judicial officer in the Judiciary of Uganda, were defamatory and had caused serious reputational harm.
The dispute arose from a family conflict over the estate of the plaintiff’s late father, including land in Kasolo, Bwanalira Village in Iganga District. In the judgment, the judge said: “These statements are clearly defamatory. They impute the plaintiff with the crimes of forgery, fraud, theft, abuse of office, and intimidation. They also directly attack his professional integrity as a judicial officer, suggesting he uses his position for personal gain and to harass his own family. Such statements would undoubtedly lower the plaintiff in the estimation of right-thinking members of society and prejudice him in his profession,” said the Judge.
The court heard that the allegations were made in letters to the Judicial Service Commission and the Criminal Investigations Directorate, and later circulated online, including in a Daily Monitor article and on social media platforms such as X and Facebook. Justice Bushara found that the evidence against the magistrate was unchallenged, noting that the defendants did not file a defence or appear in court to dispute his testimony. She ruled that there was no proof to support the claims that he had forged documents, stolen from his late father’s estate or abused his office.
In her decision, the judge said the allegations were especially serious because they were directed at a judicial officer whose office demands honesty, integrity and fidelity to the law. She also granted a permanent injunction barring the defendants from further publishing or disseminating similar defamatory claims, and ordered them to issue a written retraction and apology. The court further awarded the plaintiff costs of the suit, with the damages attracting interest at 6 percent from the date of judgment until payment in full.
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