Incoming Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Flavian Zeija ahead of vetting at Parliament on February 10, 2025. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
Before his appointment last week as the Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Flavian Zeija was the Principal Judge.
Dr Zeija (Phd) can be summed up as an accomplished senior legal professional with far-reaching experience both at the Bar and Bench. He is also an academician and a consultant.
He was born on February 18, 1969, meaning he is currently aged 56 years.
Since the retirement age of the deputy chief justice is 70 years, it means the new appointee will be in judicial service for the next 14 years.
Justice Zeija enrolled as an advocate of the High Court in 1998, meaning he has had a legal career of more than 27 years.
Previously, the father of five children was the resident judge of the Mbarara High Court circuit, the largest circuit in the country.
He was appointed as a High Court judge in 2016.
Prior to his appointment at the Bench, Justice Zeija was into legal practice as the managing partner with Zeija, Mukasa & Co. advocates and he was also into teaching.
Between 2014 and 2016, he lectured at Uganda Christian University Mukono (UCU). He also taught at Makerere University Business School (Mubs) and also at Makerere University.
While at Mubs, he was appointed the pioneer head of the department of business law.
Between 2005 and February 2011, he joined Finca Uganda as legal counsel and later Finca Africa IT Services Centre, a subsidiary of Finca International based in Washington.
He also worked at Tropical Africa Bank as manager of legal and recovery between 2002 and 2003.
Earlier in his legal career in 1998, he joined as a legal assistant with Kwesigabo, Bamwine & Walubiri Co. Advocates.
About his educational background, the new deputy Chief Justice has a rich CV having obtained the highest level of education of obtaining a doctorate of laws (PhD) from Dar es Salaam University in Tanzania between 2008 and 2013. He specialised in law and governance during his research.
Prior to obtaining the PhD, he obtained a master's degree in laws (LLM) from Makerere University (1999-2002).
Between 2008 and 2012, he enrolled at ICSA, an institute of chartered secretaries and administrators based in the UK.
He also has a second master's degree in business administration from Uganda Martyrs University (2015-2018).
He obtained his first degree in law from Makerere University between 1993 and 1996 before joining the Law Development Centre (LDC), where he obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice in 1997.
