Days after petitioning the Constitutional Court over the judiciary administration bill, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) has yet again taken on government in another case.
The umbrella body which brings together lawyers across the country has filed a petition in the Constitutional Court challenging the just enacted Age Limit law.
In their petition, they argue that the amended act which extends the term of the current Parliament by two years is inconsistent with and in contravention of Articles 1, 8A, 77(4) and 96 of the constitution.
The petition further states that Article 10 of the Constitution as amended to extend the term of all current local government councils by two years is inconsistent with and a contravention of Articles 1 and 8A of the Constitution.
ULS further argues that Article 8 of the Constitution as amended will require the Electoral Commission to organize separate elections for the President and Members of Parliament due to unconstitutional divergence from the uniform five-year presidential and parliamentary terms.
“It unconstitutionally infects Article 105(1) and is inconsistent with and in contravention of Articles 1, 8A, and 260(1) (f) of the Constitution.”
The petition challenging the Age limit has come barely a month after the bill was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni.
The signing of the bill followed the passing of the same by Members of Parliament a few days to Christmas.
In the bill, the MPs scrapped the age limit for one to contest as president. The limit had initially been set at 75years and thus Museveni would be ineligible contest after his term.
MPs had further passed the tenure of parliament to be extended from five to seven years.
