Uganda, April 23 -- On February 27, the Ugandan Gazette issued a notice on Qadhis Courts Bill following Parliament's grant of leave to one of the private members, who moved to introduce the Bill to operationalise Article 129(1)(d) of the Constitution, in August, 2025. While some of the arguments were that these courts operate without statutory guidance, and that the Bill shall cover legislative gaps, this is not exactly true. 

I agree that Parliament's goal of improving access to justice is legitimate. But the method matters. The biggest issue with expanding Sharia-based courts into the national legal framework is not religion itself but rather, legal fragmentation. This particular one raises deeper constitutional and societal conce...