Uganda Law Society has blamed High Court Judge Dr. Douglas Karekona Singiza for denying expeditious hearing of Dr. Kiiza Besigye and Counsel Eron Kiiza’s habeas corpus
In the statement, released on …, signed by Asiimwe Anthony the
Vice President, Uganda Law Society, these noted that although they don’t always comment on cases being handled by capable members , in this matter , the circumstances forced them to do so due to its unclear circumstances.
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Attorney General v. Hon Michael Kabaziguruka, Constitutional
Appeal 2 of 2021, unequivocally nullified the provisions in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces
Act that created offenses under which Dr. Besigye and other civilians were charged.”
These noted that despite of that decision, they are compelled to address the pressing matter of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s alleged unlawful detention.
“This is not an isolated incident, as Judge Singiza has also denied an expeditious hearing to a similar
petition by the ULS on behalf of its member, Adv Eron Kiiza.
It is axiomatic that habeas corpus applications take precedence over all other business of the
court. Judge Singiza’s conduct is particularly troubling, given his history of sanctioning human
rights abuses, including the torture of Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, which led to the latter’s exile.”
In the same letter , Asiimwe has
urged the Judiciary Leadership to take immediate action to address this grave injustice, including reviewing Judge Singiza’s conduct and taking disciplinary action against him for his blatant disregard for the law and human rights.
On top of that, they also requested, the international community must also to hold Uganda accountable for its human rights obligations and ensure that justice is served.