Susan Okalany

Susan Okalany is a Ugandan lawyer and judge who sits on the High Court of Uganda. Before she was appointed to the bench, she was a principal state attorney in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Background and education Se was born in the Eastern Region of Uganda. She attended local primary and secondary schools. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at Makerere University, Uganda's largest and oldest public university, with a Bachelor of Laws degree, in 1992. The following year, she was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice by the Law Development Centre in Kampala, Uganda's capital city.

Career In 1994, after graduation from the Law Development Centre, Okalany was employed by the American Embassy in Kampala, as a consular assistant. From there, she became a researcher at Forum for Women in Democracy. She then was employed by Ochieng Wellborn and Company Advocates as a legal assistant.

As a judge In 2016, Okalany was appointed a High Court judge and was assigned to the court's Family Division. She was posted to the Mbale circuit of the court's division. While there, she received death threats in a case related to Bukedea District Cattle Market, leading her to request security assistance from the president of Uganda.

Other considerations In September 2017, Okalany was bestowed with the award of Prosecutor of the Year, by the International Association of Prosecutors. The award was in recognition of her role as lead prosecutor of the 11 July 2010 Kampala bombing terrorists.

In June 2020, Okalany was among the four top contenders for the ICC prosecutor job. If elected, she would replace Fatou Bom Bensouda, who has occupied the position since 2012.