Halting strategic oil projects equivalent to treason, CJ Zeija warns judges
Uganda's Chief Justice, Dr. Flavian Zeija, has warned judicial officers that issuing court injunctions that stall strategic oil projects is equivalent to treason. The judiciary plans to establish a specialized division to handle infrastructure disputes to ensure national economic goals are met.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between judicial independence and the state's desire to accelerate major economic development projects.
Judicial officers issuing court orders that derail Uganda’s strategic oil and gas developments risk sabotaging the nation’s economic transformation, the Chief Justice has warned, framing such acts as tantamount to treason. Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day tour of oil and gas sites in Buliisa and Hoima districts, Dr. Flavian Zeija urged judicial officers to serve as facilitators rather than obstacles to the country's petroleum ambitions, emphasizing that legal disputes must be resolved expeditiously to avoid costly delays.
"It would be equivalent to treason for a judicial officer to put an injunction stopping the progress of an oil project because of any dispute. I want to urge judicial officers to be an aid to oil development rather than stepping on it," Dr. Zeija said.
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