The Eyes of Thomas Kwoyelo: Individual Responsibility, State Responsibility, and Reparations after Northern Uganda

This commentary reflects on the 2024 reparations decision of Uganda's International Crimes Division in Laker & 102 Others v Uganda & Kwoyelo v Attorney General from the perspective of one of Thomas Kwoyelo's former defence lawyers. It considers the distinction between individual criminal responsibility and State responsibility for harm arising from the conflict in northern Uganda. The commentary argues that recognition of State responsibility for reparations should neither displace the individual responsibility of convicted perpetrators nor reduce the victims' claims to the indigence of a single defendant. Drawing on the author's experience representing Kwoyelo, it considers what the decision means for victims, for Kwoyelo himself, and for Uganda's broader effort to address the legacy of the conflict.