The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | The Constitutional Court sitting in Mbale Thursday concluded the hearing of the consolidated petition challenging the Constitutional Amendment removing the age limit from the Constitution and other changes to Uganda’s Constitution Parliament made last year.
Deputy Chief Justice Owiny Dollo who chaired the panel of five justices announced that court would give its judgment on notice and on that day, the Court would return to Mbale.
Earlier in the Court, the petitioners’ lead counsel Wandera Ogalo asked the Court to annul the amended law because the process of the amendments fell short of the legal standard.
While winding up their submissions, the petitioners indicated to Court four major reasons as to why the Age- limit law should be declared as a bad law.
Among them is that Parliament exceeded its mandate and unlawfully made Constitutional Amendments without upholding the Constitution.
The petitioners including Uganda Law Society, Opposition politicians led by MP Winnie Kiiza and Tooro region aggrieved citizens led by prosper Busingye among others, through their respective lawyers cited several instances to court where Parliament allegedly faulted its rules of procedure during the much heated debate of the age – limit bill.
This singled out smuggling of the bill on the order paper by the Speaker on September 19, 2017, suspension of MPs during the debate and voting time, failure to close the doors of the chambers during voting and failure to allow members of the public to access the gallery during the debate in Parliament.
The petitioners then asked Court to allow their petition with costs and order government pay damages for mental anguish and stress as the case involved enormous reading and filing of documents.
However, in their final submission principle state Attorney Oluka Henry said all questions out by those opposed where adequately responded to by the rules of procedure and the speaker.
For his part, the Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana asked the justices to save some provisions of the Constitutional Amendment Act 2017 in case they annul some.
In his concluding remarks, Owiny Dollo urged all parties to the case to remain calm and let justice do their work.
He further appealed to lawyers from both sides to keep away from the media until a final judgment is issued.
For his part, Justice Remmy Kasule who is next in hierarchy to Owinyi Ddolo said that they are determined to rise up to the occasion to restore public confidence by making a fundamental decision.
“We assure everyone that we shall be equal to the task. We are going to make a decision that will ensure that Constitutionalism becomes the cornerstone of each and every one of us in our lives,” said Kasule.
