Francis M. Ssekandi is an international legal consultant at IPM Associates LLC. He previously served as a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School and as a judge of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal. He has published widely on law and development, human rights, and good governance. Earlier in his career, Ssekandi served as a judge of the High Court of Uganda and as a Justice of Appeal (1972–1974), and later as a member of the Supreme Court of Uganda (1974–1979).

About Justice Francis M. Ssekandi

Ssekandi graduated in 1965 with an LL.B (Hons) from the University of London and went on to earn an LL.M from Columbia Law School. He was appointed a judge of the High Court of Uganda in 1974 and subsequently served as a Justice of Appeal in the Supreme Court of Uganda.

Prior to his judicial appointments, he was Director of the Law Development Centre—Uganda’s leading institution for legal research and professional training—where he pioneered the highly successful Uganda Bar Course.

In 1981, Ssekandi joined the United Nations, serving as a principal legal adviser on development programmes. He also led the commercial law cluster, handling the resolution of commercial disputes involving the UN. During his tenure, he negotiated numerous technical cooperation agreements with governments and developed innovative institutional legal frameworks for UN programme delivery. His contributions included involvement in the establishment of major initiatives such as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the African Management Services Company (AMSCO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the United Nations Compensation Commission following the 1991 Iraq War.

In 1996, he was appointed Deputy to the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Liberia, where he oversaw peacekeeping operations.

In 1997, Ssekandi became General Counsel of the African Development Bank. In this role, he played a central part in institutional reforms led by President Omar Kabbaj, including revising the Bank’s charter to introduce new shareholder voting rights and establishing an administrative tribunal to adjudicate staff disputes.

After retiring from the African Development Bank in 2000, he combined teaching at Columbia Law School with consulting work for the United Nations, its agencies, and other international institutions. From 2007 to 2013, he served as a judge of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal.

Ssekandi has authored numerous publications on international law and international economic law. He also edited the second revised edition of New Horizons in International Law (1992), originally by Judge T.O. Elias.

As a judge, he was instrumental in integrating customary law into Uganda’s general legal system and authored several influential opinions on land tenure. He also lectured on African law and development at Columbia Law School.

He serves on the boards of several non-governmental organizations, including the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), the War and Peace Centre, and the International Law Institute (Uganda). He is the founder of the African Law Reporter and a founding member of International Projects and Mediation Associates, LLC (IPMA).

Education

• LL.B (Hons), University of London, 1965
• LL.M, Columbia University, New York, 1966

Bar Admissions

• Uganda Bar (1966)
• New York Bar (1981)

Current Positions

• International Legal Consultant, IPM Associates LLC (2001–present)
• Professor of Law, Columbia Law School (2001–2019)
• Judge, World Bank Administrative Tribunal (2007–2013)

Professional Experience

• Judge, Uganda High Court and Supreme Court (1974–1980)
• Deputy Director, General Legal Division, United Nations (1981–1996)
• General Counsel, African Development Bank (1996–2000)

Professional Memberships

• American Bar Association
• American Society of International Law
• New York Bar Association
• Uganda Law Society

Arbitration Roles

• Member, ICSID Panel of Arbitrators
• Member, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• Member, Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC)

Arbitration Experience

• Served as arbitrator in LCIA case (Pioneer Natural Resources Nigeria Ltd v. Orandi Petroleum Ltd)
• Acted as counsel for the United Nations in multiple mediation and arbitration cases over 17 years
• Represented the African Development Bank in several arbitration matters, helping resolve disputes through mediation and settlement
• Some case details remain confidential in accordance with United Nations rules

Areas of Expertise

• International arbitration
• Foreign investment and joint ventures
• Public international law
• International business transactions
• Oil and gas law

Publications

• The Lena Goldfields Arbitration (1967)
• “Good Governance: The Way Forward” in The Future of Africa (2003)
• “Law and Development” (in Liber Amicorum – Ibrahim Shihata)
• “Protection of Fundamental Rights in the Uganda Constitution” (1994)
• “The Pursuit of Transitional Justice and African Traditional Values” (2007)
• Editor: T.O. Elias, New Horizons in International Law (Revised Edition)