Prof. Frederick E. Ssempebwa (SC)

Prof. Frederick E. Ssempebwa (SC) is a Founding and Senior Partner of the firm and the Supervising Partner of all legal work undertaken by the firm. He has practised law both within and outside the courtrooms with distinction for over 55 years and is a leading consultant in several areas of practice in Uganda.

Seldom does one person combine success both in the academic and practice arenas, but Professor Ssempebwa has achieved just that. He has not only participated in groundbreaking litigation (he appeared in the first case brought before the newly instituted East African Court of Justice), but has been instrumental in the formulation of numerous laws in Uganda. As a celebrated Professor of Law at Makerere University in Uganda, as well as the Universities of Dar-es-Salaam and Zambia, he has reached the pinnacle in the academic field.

He has meritoriously earned the title of Senior Counsel in the Ugandan Courts of Judicature, and his outstanding scholarly record has made him a leading authority in Uganda on matters relating to Revenue Law and Taxation, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Conveyance and General Litigation. He is one of the most respected and most widely consulted lawyers in Uganda.

Professor Ssempebwa was a member of the 1995 Constitutional Commission which helped draft the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and was the Chairperson of the Uganda Constitutional Review Commission which was charged with reviewing the same Constitution six years later. He was a member of the Committee of Experts charged with advising on the amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya, was enlisted to advise on the Constitution drafting exercise for the Republic of South Sudan, and sits on the Judicial Service Commission of Uganda that makes recommendations for the appointment of Judges in Uganda.

He has been instrumental in the drafting of various pieces of legislation, regulations and rules governing regulatory bodies, including the Insurance Act, the Tax Appeals Tribunal Act and its Rules, as well as the Uganda Communications Commission Rules. He was a Member of the Taxpayers Advisory Committee of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from 2000 to 2002, a Member of the Minister of Finance Advisory Group on drafting the Income Tax Act, 1987, and a Consultant to the Ministry of Finance and the URA on forming the Tax Appeals Tribunal and drafting the aforementioned Tax Appeals Tribunal Act.

The Professor has on several occasions served as President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), is a former President of the East African Law Society (EALS) and has also served in a ministerial capacity in the Government of Uganda. He sits on the Boards of several major corporate bodies and Government Parastatals in Uganda.

Professor Ssempebwa is a published author and has written extensively. His highly anticipated book East African Community Law was launched on 27 November 2015 at the 20th EALS Annual Conference and General Meeting in Zanzibar. On 28 March 2018, he was awarded the Special Rank of Senior Counsel (the highest honour in the legal fraternity) by the Chief Justice of Uganda, Hon. Bart Katureebe.

He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from Queens University, Belfast, Ireland (1970), and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of East Africa at Dar-es-Salaam (1968). He was a John F. Kennedy scholar and is recognised by Chambers and Partners Global Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers, which has described him as "a veteran of the Kampala legal scene," "a brilliant and wise lawyer," and "a lawyer of the highest order."