Court Frees 20 People Convicted of Disobeying Presidential Directives

Justice Wilson Kwesiga, the head of High Court’s criminal division has released 20 people who were recently convicted by Buganda Road Magistrates Court of disobeying presidential directives on prevention of the COVID19 pandemic

While quashing their sentences and conviction, Justice Kwesiga noted that the learned magistrate procedurally erred when she failed to follow settled rules of procedure of recording pleas as laid down by the East African Court of Appeal

“The irregularities caused miscarriage of justice and illegal conviction and sentences. Therefore, the convictions of each applicant is hereby quashed and sentences set aside.”

The judge revealed that being such cases of illegal conviction numerous especially during this lockdown period, he would produce a detailed judgement to guide the lower courts on the same

“The applicants are vulnerable people whose justice demands expedite relief,” he said.

This ruling followed an application by the Women Probono Initiative challenging the summary conviction of twenty people who were sentenced to three months imprisonment for disobedience of presidential directives.

Among these illegal convicts was Aciro Lilian a mother of seven kids who has been serving this sentence at Kigo Womens Prison.