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Reuters
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Uganda passes law to restore military prosecutions of civilians
KAMPALA, May 20 (Reuters) - Uganda's parliament on Tuesday passed an amended law that permits military tribunals to try civilians, prompting protests from the opposition who said the move violated a Supreme Court ruling in January that banned such trials. The practice, in use for the last two decades, has long been criticised by opposition politicians and rights campaigners who accuse the government of using courts martial to silence opponents, which it denies. In a post on the X platform, parliament said the legislation had been passed. The head of the military, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, praised the speaker of parliament and government lawmakers for passing the bill. "Today, you proved you are fearless patriots! Uganda will remember your courage and commitment," he said on X. Military spokesman Chris Magezi said the law "will deal decisively with armed violent criminals, deter the formation of militant political groups that seek to subvert democratic processes, and ensure national security is bound on a firm foundational base." During a debate on the law, opposition politician Jonathan Odur, said the legislation was "shallow, unreasonable and unconstitutional." "There's no legal basis to provide for trial of civilians in the military court." The next step will be for President Yoweri Museveni to approve the law for it to take effect. In a ruling in January, Uganda's Supreme Court forbade military trials of civilians, saying the tribunals lacked legal competence to handle criminal trials in a fair and impartial manner. The verdict forced authorities to transfer the trial of a major opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, who was undergoing military prosecution for offences including treason, to a civilian court. Besigye, who has previously challenged incumbent Museveni four times in elections, was detained in neighbouring Kenya last year and brought to Uganda to face a military court. His lawyers and his party, the People's Front for Freedom (PFF), have called the charges politically motivated. Opposition leader Bobi Wine was also in 2018 charged in a military court for alleged illegal possession of firearms although the charges against the pop star-turned-politician were later dropped. Human Rights Watch has previously criticised Uganda's military courts, saying they did not meet international judicial standards of competence, independence and impartiality. The courts also routinely use evidence extracted through torture of defendants while also ignoring other key fair trial rules, the rights group said. The military denies the accusations.
Zawya
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Uganda: Members of Parliament decline Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) requests citing political interference
Legislators on the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs have rejected a proposal from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to avail funds for the Inspections and Quality Assurance Department citing political interference and poor performance. The legislators were interfacing with officials from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Tuesday, 01 April 2025 as theyto scrutinised the DPP's ministerial policy statement. The DDP is established under Article 120 of the Constitution and is responsible for instituting criminal proceedings in all courts with competent jurisdiction, except the Court Martial. Erute County South Member of Parliament, Hon. Jonathan Odur called for accountability from the DPP regarding case management. He demanded for an audit of the files the office had received, sanctioned and recommended for further investigation or closed. 'We have one case that is already in the public domain; RtCol. Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused. When are you going to prosecute that matter instead of repeatedly requesting more time under the guise of further investigations? You already sanctioned their files, meaning you were satisfied with the evidence. Give us an update, along with other pending cases,' Odur said. Odur criticised the DPP for prosecuting people without sufficient evidence. 'Do you understand what it means for someone who is innocent, yet you still proceed with the case despite clear evidence showing there's no solid ground for prosecution? Do you realise the harm you cause such individuals?' he asked. He added that the DPP with its stipulated constitutional independence has failed to check what he termed as excesses from the Executive. 'For this reason, I reject the budget proposal for the Inspection and Quality Assurance Department. What inspections have you carried out to ensure your prosecutors adhere to professional conduct?' he added. Soroti District Woman MP, Hon. Anna Adeke questioned the prosecutors for taking instructions from government security operatives. 'What business do your prosecutors have in taking orders from RDCs, DISOs, etc? Your office is being used for all the wrong reasons,' she said. West Budama North East MP, Hon. Fox Odoi-Oywelowo condemned the DPP's poor performance citing findings from the 11th Annual Report on the State of Equal Opportunities for the 2023/2024 financial Principal Policy Analyst at the ODPP, Viola Tucungwirwe pledged to address the issues raised by the MPs and petitioned them to consider supporting their funding requests. She emphasised the need for resources to recruit state attorneys and non-legal officers, improve communication and strengthen the DPP's operational units. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
