Gay activist Kasha and colleagues celebrate after court nullified the anti-homosexuality law. Photo by Faiswal Kasirye
By Job Bwire
Constitutional court annuls anti-gay law
Publish Date: Aug 01, 2014
The Constitutional Court declared the law "null and void"
KAMPALA - The Constitutional Court on Friday nullified the anti-gay law. The panel of five judges agreed with the petitioners that the law was passed without quorum.
“Parliament presided over by the speaker carried out an illegality,” the judges ruled.
Supporters of the the Act have vowed to appeal in the Supreme Court.
The law came into effect in February after President Yoweri Museveni assented to it earlier this year in February.
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Government to petition court over anti-gay law ruling
Gay activist Kasha and colleagues celebrate after court nullified the anti-homosexuality law. Photo by Faiswal Kasirye
By Job Bwire
Posted Friday, August 1 2014 at 15:10
Posted Friday, August 1 2014 at 15:10
Government is to petition Supreme Court over Court ruling on the Anti-Homosexuality law.
Ndorwa
West MP, David Bahati on Friday said that the Attorney General will
petition the Supreme Court over the Constitutional Court ruling on the
Act; just hours after court nullified it (Anti-Homosexuality law) which was approved by President Yoweri Museveni in February 2014.
“I want to thank the speaker, MPs who stood for
what is right. The lawyer that represented government said she was not
given chance to prove that there was quorum in parliament.
Gay activist Kasha and West Budama MP Fox Odoi. Photo by Faiswal Kasirye
The court case ruling is no victory at all, the
morals of the people of Uganda will prevail,” Mr Bahati said in a press
briefing before adding, “The Attorney General who is very competent will
petition the constitutional court over the constitutional court ruling.
Our competent legal team will continue to petition the Supreme Court
and I believe we will win.”
Mr Bahati’s remarks come just hours after the
Constitutional Court on Friday declared the Anti-Homosexuality Law null
and void on grounds that Speaker Rebecca Kadaga passed the law without
the required quorum.
A panel of five judges including, the Acting
Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, Justices, Augustine Nshimye, Eldad
Mwangusya, Solomy Balungi Bossa and Rubby Aweri Opio on a unanimous
voted to nullify the law saying Ms Kadaga was warned by three people
including Premier Amama Mbabazi against passing it (the law) but she
ignored.
Photo by Faiswal Kasirye
Court also awarded the petitioners 50% of the
costs of the suit. The case involved a group of pro-gay activists who
sued the Attorney General (AG) challenging the passing of the
Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law for lack of quorum. They include; Prof.
Joe Oloka-Onyango, MP Fox Odoi-Oywelowo, veteran journalist Andrew
Mwenda, Prof. Morris Latigo, Dr. Paul Nsubuga Ssemugoma, Jacqueline
Kasha Nabagesera, Julian Pepe Onziema, and Frank Mugisha in March this
year.
The other petitioners include the indigenous civil
society organizations; Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum
(HRAPF) and the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD
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