Parliament has given the Attorney General up to Tuesday, 13 December 2022 to present the Law Revision (Miscellaneous) (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
Bugiri Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon. Asuman Basalirwa had been granted time to move a motion seeking leave of the House to present a private member’s bill with the same title.
However, while chairing the House sitting on Thursday, 08 December 2022, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said the Attorney General expressed readiness to table the Bill.
“I consulted with the mover of the motion and we agreed that we can give the Attorney General the time. If he does not deliver, then we shall continue with the private member,” Tayebwa said.
Basalirwa urged the Attorney General to ensure coverage of aspects contained in the Private Member’s Bill including associational freedoms.
The Private Member’s Bill intended for introduction by Basalirwa seeks to amend the Penal Code Act, Cap. 120, the Public Order Management Act, 2013 and the Police Act, Cap. 303.
It also seeks to amend the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium Trust Act, Cap 47.
The amendments will repeal provisions that have been declared unconstitutional by court and provisions that are contrary to the criminal law principle of legality as prescribed in Article 28 (12) of the Constitution.
They will also repeal provisions in the laws that have been affected by changes in government policy and polices that have been rendered inoperative due to the passage of time.
If the bill is passed into law, 17 provisions in the Penal Code Act, Cap. 120 and section 8 of the Public Order Management Act, 2013 will be repealed.
The Bill will also repeal six sections contained in the Police Act, Cap. 303, and 14 sections in the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium Trust Act, Cap 47.
According to the Private Member’s Bill, the Constitutional Court, while considering petitions filed before it, declared as unconstitutional, a number of sections in the laws presented for amendment citing infringement on various provisions of the constitution.
However, the impugned sections have not been repealed from the law books.
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