TechFest2026: ULS’s Radical New Bar Champions Human-Centric AI and Smart Justice

KAMPALA, UGANDA —The Tech Fest 2026 that entered the second day was dorminated with various panel discussions on topical issues on smart justice, tech efficience with human judgments among others

The Radical New Bar Governing Council was joined by Hon. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Justice of the Court of Appeal of Uganda, a recipient of the Tech Fest 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, flanked  by Vice President Anthony Asiimwe and Eastern Council Representative Eddie Nangulu on behalf of President Isaac Ssemakadde.

. Justice Kiryabwire during  a high-profile panel discussed a topic on  "Smart Justice: Re-imagining Dispute Resolution in the Age of AI and Digital Transformation."

Another panel discussion, themed Evolving Practice and Legal Education: The Lawyer’s Duty of Diligence in the Technology Era, focused on integrating technology without compromising core professional ethics.

Speakers agreed that lawyers must stay digitally agile while keeping human temperament, decorum, and ethics at the heart of practice.

Panelist Prof. Bazzira highlighted technology's role in boosting efficiency while warning that automated processes can lack human judgment, judicial discretion, and empathy.while Mr. Paul Mukiibi raised critical questions about measuring digital efficiency and cautioned against delegating fundamental professional duties to machines.

Advocate Zubedah, CEO of the Muslim Arbitration and Mediation Centre Uganda (MAMC), addressed the importance of personal branding for legal professionals. Reflecting on her transition from drafting judgments at the Supreme Court of Uganda to public advocacy.

She challenged the legal community: “Are you building a digital reputation?” while urging  lawyers to utilize professional platforms like LinkedIn to step out of the shadows, tell their stories, and pair professional excellence with digital visibility.

Shaping National AI policy and regulation: 

Moderated by Adv. JoelBasoga, the High-Level Policy Roundtable on a Harmonised National and Regional AI Strategy debated whether Uganda needs a standalone Artificial Intelligence law.

Dr. Irene Mutuzo advised against a redundant standalone framework, recommending instead the amendment of existing laws—such as the Computer Misuse framework—to prevent overlapping legislation.

Ms. Julian Rwenju, Director of E-Government Services at NITA-Uganda, echoed the need to adapt existing data protection frameworks to mitigate emerging AI risks efficiently.

In her keynote, The Future We Design Together: Governance and Ethical Pathways for the AI Era, Dr. Mutuzo emphasized that AI must remain an ethical enabler with strict human oversight rather than a replacement for legal expertise.

The #RadicalNewBar remains committed to preparing legal practitioners for a technology-driven landscape through rigorous ethical standards, continuous innovation, and visionary leadership.