Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Uganda

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act No dedicated Good Samaritan Act and no general duty to rescue. As a common-law jurisdiction, the Penal Code Act (Cap. 120), ss. 199–203 and 223, imposes only narrow relationship-, charge- or dangerous-thing-based duties. The Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, s. 125, requires a driver involved in an accident to stop and render "all practicable assistance" to the injured person — a duty binding only the driver, not bystanders.
Scope of protection No offence targets a bystander who fails to assist a stranger in danger. Duties to act are triggered by status, charge, contract, or undertaking a dangerous act. The only statutory duty to "render assistance" (s. 125) falls exclusively on the driver involved in an accident.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection No
No legal duty to rescue

Your protection under the law

Uganda has no dedicated Good Samaritan Act and no general duty to rescue a stranger. As a common-law jurisdiction, it measures a good-faith rescuer against the standard of reasonable conduct in an emergency; the Penal Code Act (Cap. 120), sections 199–203 and 223, creates only narrow duties based on a relationship, a charge, or control of a dangerous object. The Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998 (s. 125) requires a driver involved in an accident to stop and render "all practicable assistance" to the injured person — a duty binding only the driver, not bystanders.

No duty to act, but every reason to

No offence targets a bystander who fails to assist a stranger in danger: in Uganda, helping remains a personal choice. The only statutory duty to "render assistance" falls exclusively on the driver involved in an accident, the other obligations flowing from status, charge or contract. Someone who nonetheless decides to help, in good faith and with common sense, has no cause to fear harsh treatment for reaching out.

Why training matters

Whether the law requires it or not, life grants no grace period: in cardiac arrest, every minute without resuscitation cuts the chance of survival by roughly 10 percent. In Uganda, where help can take time to arrive, especially in rural areas, the person on the scene is the first link in the chain of survival — the one whose early action makes all the difference. Learning CPR and first aid means refusing helplessness and preparing to act with calm and method. One trained citizen is one more chance that a life is not lost for want of the right actions.