UGANDA: Constitutional Court Strikes Down Anti-Homosexuality Act

Via the BBC:

Uganda's Constitutional Court has annulled tough anti-gay legislation signed into law in February. It ruled that the bill was passed by MPs in December without the requisite quorum and was therefore illegal. Homosexual acts were already illegal, but the new law allowed for life imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality" and banned the "promotion of homosexuality". Several donors have cut aid to Uganda since the law was adopted. "The retrogressive anti-homosexuality act of Uganda has been struck down by the constitutional court - it's now dead as a door nail," the AFP news agency quotes prominent journalist Andrew Mwenda, one of the petitioners, as saying. Kosiya Kasibayo, a lawyer for the state, said a decision had not been made on whether to appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court, the Associate Press news agency reports. The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in the capital, Kampala, says supporters of the anti-gay laws have been angered by the ruling of the five judges. They wonder whether their decision has anything to do with the president's visit to Washington next week for the US-Africa Summit, she says.

Pastor Martin "Eat Da Poo Poo" Ssempa says that he will demand that the parliament "investigate the impartiality" of the judges. Since the bill was stricken on a technicality, we can expect a push for its re-passage. However, it's possible that the international backlash and loss of foreign aid will mean that the bill will, this time, face an uphill battle.

UGANDA: High Court Hears Challenge To Brutal Anti-Homosexuality Legislation

Uganda's Constitutional Court is hearing a challenge to the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which calls for punishments up to life in prison for "crimes" such as "repeated homosexual acts."

The activists argue that the law was passed in parliament without the necessary quorum of lawmakers. The 10 petitioners – including two Ugandan rights organisations – also claim that the law violates the constitutional right to privacy and dignity, as well as the right to be free from discrimination and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Judges have adjourned the hearings until Friday, when they are expected to rule on the quorum issue. Ugandan state lawyers defended the law on Thursday, the second day of the hearings, asking judges to dismiss the petition. "There is no evidence about the quorum," state attorney Patricia Mutesa told the court in the capital, Kampala. But prominent gay-rights activist Frank Mugisha, one of the petitioners, said he was optimistic that judges would rule in favour of scrapping the law. "I think that we could have a very good judgment tomorrow, and if we get that judgment then it's over – and we just have to celebrate," said Mugisha, who heads the Sexual Minorities Uganda group.

Sexual Minorities Uganda is the group suing Scott Lively for crimes against humanity. Lively is widely considered to have sparked the movement for the passage of the bill. Several nations including the United States have curtailed aid to Uganda is the wake of the bill's enactment. Ugandan Pastor Martin "Eat Da Poo Poo" Ssempa is losing his shit (see what I did there?) on Twitter over the prospect of the bill being overturned. Even if the bill is struck down on parliamentary technicalities, we can expect an attempt to have it re-approved.

Tweet Of The Day - Frank Mugisha

Buzzfeed has the story:

Human rights advocates and opposition politicians filed a lawsuit against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act on Tuesday. The Anti-Homosexuality Act, which President Yoweri Museveni signed into law on February 24, imposes up to a life sentence for homosexuality and criminalizes advocating LGBT rights. The petitioners include activists Frank Mugisha of Sexual Minorities Uganda, trans activist Julian Pepe Onziema, former Ugandan opposition leader Ogenga Latigo, and Member of Parliament Fox Odoi. The suit argues that the law violates the right to equality before the law under the Ugandan constitution, as well as the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and association. It also notes that parliament lacked a quorum when it voted in favor of the bill on December 20.

RELATED: Mugisha is a party to the lawsuit against Scott Lively.

LGBT Activist Vs Ugandan Police

RELATED: Mugisha is the executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, which is suing American evangelist Scott Lively for crimes against humanity.