The Constitutional Court today delivered its long awaited ruling on the law of sedition challenged by journalist Andrew Mwenda and the East Africa Media Institute in a case filed in 2005. The Court has struck sedition off the laws of Uganda maintaining that it was inconsistent with Article 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, which provides for freedom of expression and of the media.
The ruling increases the space in which journalists can freely do their work without fear of repercussions of the old colonial law.
The ruling, delivered today morning (August 25, 2010) by the court registrar Asaph Ntegye Ruhinda on behalf of five judges of the Constitutional Court: Justices Leticia Kikonyogo, Steven Kavuma , George Egwau, Constance Byamugisha and Augustine Nshiime nullified sections 39 and 40 of the Penal Code, Cap 120 which define and establish the law on sedition.
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) welcomed the court ruling which it said “has broadened the space for free speech that has been under attack for many years in Ugandaâ€.
“I commend court for having exercised its independence and struck off sedition out of our law books. This law did not affect us (media) only but the entire country,†said The Independent’s Managing Editor, Andrew Mwenda. He has been charged with sedition 18 times out of the 25 charges is facing before court.
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