Press briefing note on Uganda

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:  Rupert Colville

Location: Geneva 

Date: 27 March 2020

Subject:  Uganda

We welcome the ruling by the Constitutional Court of Uganda that the wide discretionary powers that had been granted to the police to stop or prevent public meetings are unconstitutional.

The ruling, which the Court issued on Thursday, relates to Uganda's Public Order Management Act 2013. 

Uganda's Human Rights Network had brought a case against the Attorney General challenging Section 8 of this Act under which police enjoyed wide-ranging powers to shut down any meetings that they deemed to be in violation of public order.

The Court's decision is a hugely positive development. It is consistent with Uganda's obligations under international law to  allow citizens to fully enjoy their fundamental freedoms.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact: Rupert Colville - + 41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org or Jeremy Laurence - + 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org orLiz Throssell - + 41 22 917 9296 / ethrossell@ohchr.org or Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / mhurtado@ohchr.org  

Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights