UGANDA: Judgment of suspended Anti Corruption Court for Wednesday

The Constitutional Court is this Wednesday morning expected to deliver its verdict that will decide the fate of the suspended Anti Corruption Court; five months after its operations were frozen.

The much awaited judgment is expected to be read by Acting Chief Justice Steven Kavuma.

Other justices on the panel will include; Remmy Kasule, Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Solomy Balungi Bossa and Lillian Tibatemwa.

On July 12 this year, the Constitutional Court halted all the criminal proceedings that were going on in the High Court, Anti Corruption Division and those arising from the magistrates pending the determination of the main petition, which judgment is to be passed Wednesday.

Last week, the Registrar of the court, Mr John Erutu issued out judgment notices to concerned parties to come and receive their judgment Wednesday.

This matter arose about two years ago when a concerned city lawyer Davis Wesley Tusingwire went to court to challenge the judicial duties executed by the magistrates attached to the High Court, Anti Corruption Division as being unconstitutional.

Today’s verdict could see all  the corruption convicts who went through the anti-graft court freed from jail if court agrees with the argument that the magistrates attached to Anti Corruption Court did not have a constitutional mandate to execute their judicial duties, hence their proceedings and judgments are null and void.

On the contrary, the Constitutional Court could order that the suspension of the anti-graft court be lifted and operations resume normally.

The court was established in 2009 by out-going Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki with the main aim of combating corruption cases. Over 251 cases were affected in this closure of the very court.

The delivery of this judgment comes at the time when the anti corruption crusaders had threatened to stage series of demonstrations if the judiciary had not delivered this judgment by the end of this month.

The anti corruption crusaders led by Cissy Kagaba, claim that the continued closure of the anti graft court was becoming a stumbling block to the fight against corruption.

Several inmates at Luzira Prison had also petitioned human rights bodies including the Uganda Human Rights Commission seeking for their indulgence to have justice done to them on grounds that they had been indefinitely remanded contrary to their constitutional rights of having a speedy and fair trial.

DAILY MONITOR UGANDA: