Parliament passes 'Anti-Homosexuality' Bill
Publish Date: Dec 20, 2013
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga
Parliament has passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009, which proposes life imprisonment for homosexual acts.
A proposal for a 14-year-sentence for those convicted for
homosexual acts, which the bill criminalises, was rejected by Members of
Parliament who instead maintained the life imprisonment proposal.
However, Prime minister Amama Mbabazi said there would be further “consultations” on part of the government.
Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill
By Monitor Reporter
Posted Friday, December 20 2013 at 13:23
Posted Friday, December 20 2013 at 13:23
Parliament has passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009, which proposes life imprisonment for homosexual acts.
A proposal for a 14-year-sentence for those
convicted for homosexual acts, which the Bill criminalises, was rejected
by Members of Parliament who instead maintained the life imprisonment
proposal.
After voting to pass the Bill into law MPs asked
the President to assent to it fast enough so it becomes law. They also
passed a motion thanking the House Speaker for the “gift”.
The Bill is the third to be passed in less than
twenty fours, after the passing of the Plant Variety Protection Bill,
2010, this morning and the Anti-Pornography Bill, 2011, on Thursday.
MPs pass Bill against miniskirts
The new legislation outlaws wearing such outfits.
By Yasiin Mugerwa & Nelson Wesonga
Posted Thursday, December 19 2013 at 22:00
Posted Thursday, December 19 2013 at 22:00
In Summary
The Bill defines pornography as any cultural
practice, form of behaviour or form of communication or speech or
information or literature or publication in whole or in part or news
story or entertainment or stage play or broadcast or music or dance or
art or graphic or picture or photography or video recording or leisure
activity or show or exhibition.
Parliament- Parliament yesterday passed the Anti-pornography Bill, 2011, a new piece of legislation that seeks among others to ban wearing of miniskirts and further clarify the offence of pornography in Uganda’s laws.
Parliament- Parliament yesterday passed the Anti-pornography Bill, 2011, a new piece of legislation that seeks among others to ban wearing of miniskirts and further clarify the offence of pornography in Uganda’s laws.
The government rode on its view that pornography
has become such an “insidious social problem” in the country to get the
Bill through Parliament. While some lawmakers claimed that the bill
violates people’s rights, majority agreed with the government and
enacted the Bill.
“With the enactment of the Bill, my dream has been fulfilled,” said Fr Simon Lokodo, the Ethics minister.
However, some MPs complained that the Bill’s
definition of pornography was too broad and that it went against
Uganda’s tradition of being tolerant of cultural diversity.
The Bill provides for the creation of the Anti-Corruption Committee that will implement the law.
Mr Steven Tashobya, the chairperson of the Legal
and Parliamentary Affairs Committee whose docket administered the Bill,
said pornography fuels sexual crimes against children and women,
including rape and child molestation.
The committee said that though the various laws
already in existence prohibit pornography, there is no single law to
comprehensively deal with the problem of pornography.
What the Bill says
The Bill defines pornography as any cultural
practice, form of behaviour or form of communication or speech or
information or literature or publication in whole or in part or news
story or entertainment or stage play or broadcast or music or dance or
art or graphic or picture or photography or video recording or leisure
activity or show or exhibition.
It also prohibits any combination of the
preceding that depicts unclothed or under clothed parts of the human
body such as breasts, thighs, buttocks and genitalia, a person engaged
in explicit sexual activities or conduct; erotic behaviour intended to
cause sexual excitement and any indecent act or behaviour tending to
corrupt morals.
