THIS WEEK: Courts set target for clearing sexual violence cases Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan Courts are perennially burdened by case backlog. Now the judiciary has set a target of clearing 1000 sexual violence cases within 40 days. Thirteen special sessions will be conducted in different parts of the …
Read More »Opposition politician in Benin jailed for 20 years on drugs charges
Porto-Novo, Benin | AFP | A court in Benin on Thursday sentenced opposition politician Sebastien Ajavon to 20 years in prison on drugs charges and issued an international warrant for his arrest. The former presidential candidate was not at the hearing in the West African country’s administrative capital, Porto-Novo, which …
Read More »Mali’s top court postpones elections to 2019
Bamako, Mali | AFP | Mali’s constitutional court delayed the country’s parliamentary elections until 2019 by extending the mandate of MPs for six months, as requested by the National Assembly on Monday, according to the two institutions. Citing “force majeure” the court said it “extends the mandate of representatives until the …
Read More »Court orders diesel ban on major Berlin roads
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Berlin could shut out diesel drivers from major arterial roads next year, after a court Tuesday ordered the German capital to follow in the footsteps of Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart with exclusion zones. A renewed focus on air quality in the wake of Volkswagen’s 2015 …
Read More »Trump says America owes Kavanaugh apology after Supreme Court battle
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump said Monday he was apologizing on behalf of the whole country to his new conservative Supreme Court justice after one of the most contentious confirmation processes in US history. At a White House swearing-in ceremony, Trump stood next to Justice Brett …
Read More »When judicial decisions become ‘painkillers’
Ignoring Supreme Court recommendations in Mbabazi election petition exposes government’s cynical view of constitutionalism Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | A public lecture on constitutionalism held in the main hall at Makerere University Kampala on Aug.24 turned into a scene of anger, frustration, and venting when one of the expected main …
Read More »Why Kayihura case has changed
Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | The Aug.24 trial of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kale Kayihura at the General Court Martial has brought to an end speculation about how President Yoweri Museveni intends to deal with his former police chief. The police chief has been a subject of several …
Read More »Let Court decide, CCEDU tells EC
Behind the case of NGO blocked for crossing the line in election observation Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | Since it was suspended from conducting voter education and election monitoring on July 09, a local NGO – Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU), has been in and out meetings …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Courts of fear
Behind Constitutional Court decision to remove age limit, annul 7 year term Kampala, Uganda | AGATHER ATUHAIRE | Two days before the July 26 decision of the Constitutional Court to uphold the constitutional amendment by parliament to remove the Presidential age limit and quash the amendment for a seven-year term for …
Read More »THIS WEEK: EC responds to Achola’s court petition challenging disqualification
THIS WEEK: EC responds to Achola’s court petition challenging disqualification Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Catherine Achola the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party candidate for Pallisa district woman MP seat on June19 petitioned the civil division of the high court challenging her disqualification from the race by the …
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