By Ruth Anderah
A concerned citizen has petitioned the High Court over government’s alleged failure to publish and Gazette the Human Rights Enforcement Act (2019) -eight months after it was assented to by the president on March 31st 2019.
In his petition, James Mubiru, a lawyer claims that the failure by the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation to publish the Human Rights Enforcement Act bars it’s operationisation as a law to benefit Ugandans.
Mubiru explains that the Human Rights Act enables every citizen to be at watch and enforce their personal liberties and freedoms including; freedom from torture and inhumane degrading treatment, brutal arrest, torture within custody and confinement beyond the mandatory 48 hours within which one can be produced before a competent court of law.
Mubiru adds the same Act makes it quick for human rights activists to petition court on behalf of other people whose rights have been violated.
Through his lawyer Anthony Wameli, Mubiru also faults parliament for deliberately refusing to include deadlines within the Act for it to published to become law before sending it for presidential assent.
He has therefore filed an application against Uganda printing and Publishing corporation compelling it to publish and gazatte the Act.
Meanwhile the managing Director of Uganda printing and Publishing Gazette Irene Muwanguzi has also petitioned court seeking to block her sacking or preventing anyone from being appointed a substantive MD.
Muwanguzi contends that her contract as managing director has never been lawfully terminated yet she has been prevented from accessing her office since May 2019.
