KAMPALA, 17 September 2026 – The Attorney General, Hon. Dr. Sam Mayanja, has called for the responsible adoption of technology in Uganda’s justice system, emphasising the need to ensure that digital transformation expands access to justice while safeguarding professional ethics, confidentiality, cybersecurity and the rule of law.
Hon. Dr. Mayanja made the remarks as he addressed the Second Annual Uganda Law Society Digital Transformation Festival (TECHFEST 2026), held at the Common Wealth Resort, munyonyo, in Kampala under the theme “Digital Democracy: Advancing Access to Justice, Innovation, and Ethical Governance through Technology.”
The two-day festival, held on 17 and 18 September 2026, brings together members of the legal profession, innovators, technology practitioners, exhibitors and other stakeholders to examine the growing intersection between law, technology and the administration of justice.
The Attorney General commended the Uganda Law Society for taking the Digital Transformation Festival beyond Kampala through regional engagements in Mbarara, Gulu and Mbale, noting that digital transformation should benefit the legal profession and the public across the country, rather than remain concentrated in major urban centres.
Technology must widen the door to Justice
The Attorney General observed that technology is already transforming how legal services are delivered, how citizens interact with public institutions and how information is created, stored and communicated.
He noted that the legal profession therefore has a responsibility not merely to respond to technological change, but to actively participate in shaping how it is used.
Hon. Dr. Mayanja explained that technology can widen access to justice when it enables files to move between registries more efficiently, allows witnesses to participate without the burden of costly travel, and makes court decisions and other legal information available more promptly.
At the same time, he cautioned that technology can also create new barriers where access to justice becomes dependent on smartphones, internet connectivity, data affordability or digital skills that many citizens do not possess.
“Technology will either widen the door to justice or narrow it,” the Attorney General said.
He stressed that the responsibility for determining which of these outcomes emerges rests with Government, the Judiciary, the legal profession and those who design and implement digital systems.
Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence
Hon. Dr. Mayanja singled out Artificial Intelligence (AI) as one of the most significant developments facing the legal profession.
He noted that AI can assist lawyers with research, summarisation, translation, organisation of information and preparation of preliminary drafts, potentially reducing the time and cost involved in legal work.
However, he emphasised that AI remains an aid to professional judgment and cannot replace the responsibility of a qualified legal practitioner.
“When an advocate signs a pleading or addresses a court, the advocate remains responsible for every fact, quotation and authority presented,” he said.
The Attorney General urged advocates to verify AI-generated material before relying on it in professional work, stressing that technological tools do not assume the professional responsibility attached to the advocate using them.
Protecting confidentiality and strengthening Cybersecurity
The Attorney General further called upon law firms and justice institutions to treat cybersecurity as an essential component of modern legal practice.
He noted that law firms hold highly sensitive information, including client instructions, commercial records, evidence, medical information and confidential legal advice.
He therefore highlighted the importance of measures such as encryption, controlled access, secure backups, software updates and clear procedures for responding to data breaches.
Hon. Dr. Mayanja also emphasised the need for courts and public institutions to safeguard the authenticity and reliability of electronic records and online services.
With AI making it increasingly possible to create convincing false documents, images, audio and video, he noted that courts and investigators will need effective mechanisms for verifying digital evidence.
Digital transformation must remain inclusive
The Attorney General stressed that digital justice initiatives must not exclude citizens who face challenges in accessing technology.
He noted that many Ugandans will continue to access justice through magistrates’ courts, local council courts and legal aid clinics, and that digital services should strengthen rather than eliminate these avenues.
“The practical test for every new system should be simple: does it add another door through which a citizen can obtain justice, or does it close an existing one?” he asked.
He called for digital systems to be designed with the needs of rural communities, unrepresented litigants and persons with disabilities in mind, while ensuring that accessible physical services remain available.
Call for practical reforms
Hon. Dr. Mayanja encouraged TECHFEST participants to develop practical recommendations in three key areas: responsible use of Artificial Intelligence; enforceable cybersecurity standards and regular training; and accessibility assessments for digital justice projects.
He invited the Uganda Law Society to consolidate the recommendations emerging from the festival and submit them to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
“My Chambers will receive and consider proposals concerning legislative, procedural and ethical reforms and engage the appropriate institutions where further action is required,” he said.
He added that the value of TECHFEST would ultimately be measured by the practical improvements arising from the discussions.
ULS expands the digital transformation conversation
The Vice President of the Uganda Law Society, Asiimwe Anthony, said the 2026 edition builds on the foundation laid by the inaugural festival and was deliberately designed to take conversations on technology and the law beyond Kampala.
The regional engagements were held in Mbarara on 14 September, Gulu on 15 September and Mbale on 16 September, before the main festival in Kampala.
He said the festival is anchored in the ULS’s 4Ds of the Radical New Bar, particularly the call for digital transformation, and provides a platform to examine issues including cybersecurity, the rule of law in the digital era, FinTech, legal education and the regulation of Artificial Intelligence.
The festival also features the inaugural TECHFEST Hackathon, providing innovators with an opportunity to develop technology-driven solutions to challenges affecting the justice sector, including access to justice, legal automation and strengthening the rule of law.
Chief Guest highlights technology and human dignity
The Chief Guest, Hon. Rtd. Justice Frederick Martin Stephen Egonda-Ntende, reflected on the rapid technological changes of the past three decades and their implications for society and the legal profession.
He observed that while technology continues to transform how people work, communicate and relate to the world, fundamental values anchored in human dignity and the sanctity of human life must remain central.
He also highlighted the Uganda Law Society’s statutory responsibility to protect and assist the public in matters touching on, ancillary or incidental to the law.
Justice Egonda-Ntende challenged the legal profession to explore how technology can be used to strengthen accountability and access to justice, particularly in documenting and addressing violations of rights.
He concluded by urging the profession to use technology as a tool in defence of the public and in advancing access to justice and ethical governance.
Building a justice system fit for the digital age
Hon. Dr. Mayanja encouraged lawyers, particularly younger members of the profession, to understand and use emerging technologies while retaining independent professional judgment and responsibility.
He also called upon innovators to work closely with lawyers, judicial officers and communities when designing systems intended for use in the justice sector.
He noted that technological efficiency alone cannot determine whether a system serves justice.
“Technology has no sense of fairness. It cannot assess the credibility of a frightened witness or understand every human circumstance behind a dispute. Those judgments remain human,” he said.
The Attorney General observed, however, that technology can remove obstacles that have little to do with justice, including lost files, missing records, unnecessary adjournments and costly journeys.
Hon. Dr. Mayanja congratulated the Uganda Law Society, its Council, management and staff, together with the partners and exhibitors, for convening the festival and called for discussions that translate into practical improvements in access to justice throughout Uganda.
He concluded by emphasising that Uganda’s digital transformation must remain anchored in justice, human dignity, professional responsibility, confidentiality, inclusion, ethical governance and the rule of law.
