MBALE – Uganda saw an amendment of article 102b of the constitution allowing for the removal of the age limit for presidential candidates. The action was preceded by several controversies with the August House being dogged with heckling, suspension of some members and physical brawls. This culminated into a petition by members of the opposition and other individuals.
A panel of five judges, Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, justice Remmy Kasule, Justice Kenneth Kakuru, Justice Elizabeth Musoke and Justice Cheborion Barishaki gave their individual judgments in the consolidated constitutional petition heard by the High Court in Mbale in April.
1. Whether sections 2 and 8 of the Act extending or enlarging of the term or life of Parliament from 5 to 7 years is inconsistent with and in contravention of Articles 1, 8A, 7, 77 (3), 77 (4), 79 (1), 96 and 233 (2) (b) of the Constitution
- DCJ Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
2. And if so, whether applying it retroactively is inconsistent with and \or in contravention of Articles 1, 8A, 7, 77 (3), 77 (4), 79 (1), 96 and 233 (2) (b) of the Constitution
- DCJ Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
3. Whether sections 6 and 10 of the Act extending the current life of the local government councils from 5 to 7 years is inconsistent with and\or in contravention of Articles 1, 2, 8A, 176 (3), 181 (4) and 259 (2) (a) of the Constitution
- DCJ Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
4. If so, whether applying it retrospectively is inconsistent with and\or in contravention of Articles 1,2, 8A, 176 (3), 181 (4) and 259 (2) (a) of the Constitution
- DCJ Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
5. Whether the alleged violence\scuffle inside and outside Parliament during the enactment of the Act was inconsistent and in contravention of Articles 1,2,3 (2) and 8A of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
6. Whether the entire process of conceptualising, consulting, debating and enacting the Act was inconsistent with and \or in contravention of Articles of the Constitution as here under
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: NoJustice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: NO
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: NO
(a) Whether the introduction of the Private Member’s Bill that led to the Act was inconsistent with and in contravention of Article 93 of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(b) Whether the passing of sections 2,5, 6, 8 and 10 of the Act are inconsistent with and or in contravention of Article 93 of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
(c) Whether the actions of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and Uganda Police in entering Parliament, allegedly assaulting members in the chamber, arresting and allegedly detaining the said members is inconsistent with and/ or in contravention of Articles 24,97,208(2) and 211 (3), of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
(d), Whether the consultations carried out were marred with restrictions and violence which were inconsistent with and/ or in contravention of Articles 29(1) (a) (d) (e) and 29(2) (a) of the Constitution
- Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(e) Whether the alleged failure to consult on sections 2,5,6,8 and 10, is inconsistent with and/or in contravention of Articles 1, and 8A of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
(f)Whether the alleged failure to conduct a referendum before assenting to the Bill containing sections 2,5,6,8 and 10, of the Act was inconsistent with, and in contravention of Articles 1, 91 (1) and 259(2), 260 and 263(2) (b) of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
7. Whether the alleged failure by Parliament to observe its own Rules of Procedure during the enactment of the Act was inconsistent with and in contravention of Articles 28, 42, 44, 90(2) and 94(1), of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
(a) Whether the actions of parliament preventing some members of the public from accessing Parliamentary chambers during the presentation of the Constitutional Amendment Bill No.2 of 2017 was inconsistent with and in contravention of the provisions of Article 1, 8 A, 79, 208 (2),209,212,of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(b) Whether the act of tabling Constitutional Bill No.2 of 2017, in the absence of the Leader of Opposition, Chief Whip, and other opposition members of Parliament was in contravention of and or inconsistent with Article 1,8A,69(1) 69(2),71,74,75,79,82A, and 108A, of the Constitution.
- Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(c) Whether the alleged actions of the Speaker in permitting Ruling party Members of Parliament to sit on the opposition side of Parliament was inconsistent with Articles 1,8A,69(1),69(2) (B),71,74,75,79,82A,83(1)(g),83(3), and 108A, of the Constitution.
- Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(d) Whether the alleged act of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament in allowing some of its members to sign the report after the public hearing on constitutional amendment Bill No.2 of 2017 was in contravention of Articles 44(c), 90(1), and 90(2) of the constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
(e) Whether the alleged act of the Speaker of Parliament allowing the chairperson of the Legal Affairs committee, on 18th December 2017, in the absence of the Leader of Opposition and other opposition Members of Parliament, was in contravention of and inconsistent with Article 1, 8A,69(1),69(2)(b),71,74,75,79,82A and 108A, of the constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(f). Whether the actions of the Speaker in suspending the 6 (six) Members of Parliament was in contravention of Articles 28, 42, 44,79,91,94, and 259 of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(g) Whether the action of Parliament in:-
(i) Waiving the requirement of a minimum of three sittings for the tabling of the report yet it was not seconded.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
(ii) Closing the debate on the Constitution Amendment Bill No.2 2017 before every Member of Parliament could debate on the said Bill.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(iii) Failing to close all doors during voting
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule:No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke:No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
(iv) failing to separate the second and third reading by at least fourteen sitting days are inconsistent with and/ or in contravention of Articles 1,8A,44(C), 79,94, and 263 of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
8. Whether the passage of the Act without observing 14 sitting days of Parliament between the 2nd and 3rd reading was inconsistent with and/ or in contravention of Article 262 and 263 (1) of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
9. Whether the presidential assent to the Bill allegedly in absence of a certificate of compliance from the Speaker and certificate of the Electoral Commission that the amendment was approved at a referendum was inconsistent with and in contravention of Article 263 (2) (a) and b of the Constitution
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
10. Whether section 5 of the Act, which reintroduces term limits and entrenches them as subject to referendum is inconsistent with and/ or in contravention of Article 260 (2) (a) of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
11. Whether section 9 of the Act, which seeks to harmonise the seven year term of Parliament with Parliament term is inconsistent with and/or in contravention of Articles 105 (1) and 260(2) of the Constitution.
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
12. Whether sections of 3, and 7, of the Act, lifting the age limit are inconsistent with and/ or in contravention of Articles 21 (3) and 21 (5) of the Constitution.
- Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
13. Whether a sitting President should leave office on clocking 75 years despite his/her term of office being still on.
- Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: No
- Justice Remmy Kasule: No
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: No
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: No
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: No
14. What remedies are available to the parties?
- DCJ Alfonse Owiny-Dollo: Yes
- Justice Remmy Kasule: Yes
- Justice Kenneth Kakuru: Yes
- Justice Elizabeth Musoke: Yes
- Justice Cheborion Barishaki: Yes
