Uganda's legal system draws from multiple sources including the Constitution, legislation, case law, customary law, and received English law. Understanding these sources is fundamental to legal study.
Article 2 of the Constitution of Uganda 1995; Judicature Act, Cap 13
Established that the Constitution is the supreme law and any act inconsistent with it is null and void.
Affirmed the hierarchy of sources of law and the supremacy of the Constitution over all other laws.
When advising clients, always check whether the applicable law is statutory, customary, or based on common law precedent — each has different rules of interpretation.
Examiners often ask you to discuss the hierarchy of sources of law. Remember that the Constitution sits at the apex, followed by Acts of Parliament, then subsidiary legislation, then case law and customary law.
