- Title: UGANDA: Ugandan lawyers strike over court room invasion by security forces
- Date: 16th March 2007
- Summary: (AD1) KAMPALA, UGANDA (FILE - 2007) (REUTERS) TREASON SUSPECT BEING DRAGGED OUT OF COURT BY SECURITY OFFICERS TREASON SUSPECT RUNS BACK INTO COURT ROOM SCUFFLE IN COURT ROOM AS TREASON SUSPECT TRIES TO ESCAPE ARREST
- Embargoed: 31st March 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Uganda
- Country: Uganda
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA2359HO29C6U3Q9L63C90PJGOY
- Story Text: A strike organised by Ugandan lawyers over the seizure of opposition supporters from the high court by security men, ended today with a cleansing ceremony on the steps of Kampala's high court building. About 300 lawyers took part in the 3-day strike action.
Lawyers ended a three-day strike in the capital Kampala with a cleansing ceremony meant to rid the country's courtrooms of further interference by the government.
Lawyers marched around the High Court and sprinkled water along its perimeter as part of the special ceremony which is derived from traditional Ugandan cleansing rituals.
The lawyers action comes after the seizure of opposition supporters from the High Court by security men two weeks ago.
The country's judges had also ceased their duties for a week over the same issue but returned to this week after President Yoweri Museveni expressed regret over the incident.
But after a meeting on Friday (March 9) , the lawyers agreed to launch a protest of their own over what they term an unlawful invasion of court premises.
"A total disregard of constitutionalism, violation of the rule of law, repeatedly said, repeatedly done, with impunity," said Miria Matembe, one of the lawyers at the Friday meeting.
Analysts said the fallout from the judges' and lawyers' strike could let Uganda's judiciary claw back some of its independence.
"He (President Yoweri Museveni) is sending a message that the judges or magistrates should always be looking over their shoulders every time they are making a decision on cases which are considered to be sensitive but he has got to remember that in 1995, a constitution was thouroghly debated and passed by the people of this country and one of those aspects that is contained in the constitution is that a person who has been arrested is entitled to bail, that is his constitutional right and government has got no right to question in and what he is doing, is he is questioning it," said Oscar Kihika, president of the Uganda Law Society.
The six men seized were accused of being members of the People's Redemption Army (PRA) rebels and charged with plotting a rebellion alongside main opposition leader Kizza Besigye.
The officers damaged High Court property and beat a lawyer unconscious during the raid -- dismaying international aid donors and triggering outrage in the media and a street demonstration in Kampala.
The assault revived bitter memories of a similar incident in 2005, when security agents clad in black tried but failed to re-arrest several suspects given bail in the same treason trial. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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