Uganda court voids legal provision that ‘curtails freedom of speech’
A court in Uganda has overturned a section of a communications law that has been used to prosecute journalists, writers, and other government critics.
Under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, section 25 prohibits the use of electronic communication to “disturb the peace, quiet or right of privacy of any person with no purpose of legitimate communication”.
Offenders who violate the law may be subject to harsh financial fines or prison terms.
The decision on the law followed a petition by Andrew Karamagi and Robert Shaka, rights activists.
In a unanimous decision by five justices on Tuesday, it was agreed that the portion of the law be scrapped for being vague or overly broad to define the actual offence committed.
The panel of justices, led by Kenneth Kakuru, also ruled that the section “curtails inherent freedoms of speech and expression that are guaranteed in the constitution”.
The development comes hours after a report criticised the Ugandan government for inhibiting press freedom and hampering democracy.
The report called for a review of the Computer Misuse Act as the “law does not define false and malicious information, making it very imprecise”.
Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s president since 1986, who is on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) list of press freedom predators, has faced critcism from human rights advocates for enacting “indiscriminately broad, disguised censorship” laws.
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