Buganda Road Magistrates Court declined on Monday to issue an arrest warrant for Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde, President of the Uganda Law Society.
Ssemakadde faces charges of insulting the modesty of a woman, specifically the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo.
Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi made the decision after hearing from Ssemakadde’s lawyers, who explained that their client missed a court appearance on January 29, 2025, due to a bad cough.
Giving Ssemakadde the benefit of the doubt, Kayizzi extended a criminal summons, requiring him to appear in court on February 24, 2025. A warrant for his arrest will be issued if he fails to appear.
The case arises from derogatory comments Ssemakadde allegedly made about Abodo during a symposium on November 18, 2024.
A private prosecution against Ssemakadde was initiated in December 2024 as a result of these comments.