Applying for a temporary injunction in Uganda: checklist
In brief
A temporary injunction preserves the status quo until trial. This checklist covers the well-known tests and the application.
Who it's for & when to use it
Who it's for: Applicants needing interim relief and their advocates.
When to use it: When you need to restrain conduct pending the suit's hearing.
When not to use it: As a substitute for the main suit — it must already be on foot.
The checklist
1. Confirm a suit is on foot
- Confirm the main suit is filed — a temporary injunction supports a pending suit, it is not a remedy on its own.
2. Meet the tests
- Show a prima facie case with a probability of success.
- Show irreparable injury that damages cannot adequately remedy.
- Show the balance of convenience favours granting the order.
3. Prepare the application
- File the application by motion supported by an affidavit setting out the facts and the three tests.
- Exhibit the evidence of the threatened harm.
4. Serve and argue
- Serve the respondent and argue the application; be ready to give an undertaking as to damages.
5. Comply with the order
- If granted, observe the order's terms and any undertaking, and prosecute the main suit diligently.
Key authorities
- Civil Procedure Rules — Order 41 (temporary injunctions).
- American Cyanamid Co v Ethicon Ltd [1975] AC 396; Kiyimba-Kaggwa v Haji Abdu Nasser Katende [1985] HCB 43 (the tests).
Checklist · Civil procedure & courts.
Actively maintained.
Last reviewed 9 June 2026; next review due 9 June 2027.
This resource is a practitioner orientation and general information, not legal advice, and does not create an advocate–client relationship. It is AI-generated. Ugandan law changes and chapter and section numbers were revised in the 2023 Laws of Uganda. Verify every statute, rule, form, fee and authority against the current primary source — and the specific facts of your matter — before relying on it.