The panel of three justices from the East African Court of Justice on Tuesday dismissed an application filed by seven opposition members challenging the age limit amendments made within the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
The politicians who had petitioned the East African Court are Hon Gerald Karuhanga the Ntungamo Municipality MP, John Baptist Nambeshe Manjiya County MP, Betty Nambooze of Mukono Municipality, Winfred Kiiza the Kasese Woman MP, Irene Ovinji the woman’s rights activist, Ibrahim Semujju Nganda MP representing Kira Municipality, Alice Alaso former Serere district Woman MP.
In their application, the petitioners accused various organs of government like the Parliament and Judiciary for failing to protect and abide by the constitution when they passed and up held the constitutional amendments on age limit which was enacted amidst violence and irregularities.
The dismissal of the matter followed the submission by the applicants’ lawyers that they were not ready to proceed with this matter.
The lawyers also told court that they didn’t have instructions from their clients to proceed with this case.
Since the MPs had never filed any evidence before court on this matter, the Attorney General and lawyer Mabirizi asked court to have the matter dismissed.
It’s on the above background that the three justices; Mary Mugyenyi the Principal Judge, Justice Dr Charles Nyawello and Charles Nyachae dismissed the matter with costs.
The applicants were being represented by lawyers Nelson Ndeki and Son Deya.
This dismissed matter consists of two consolidated applications where one was filed in 2017 after Parliament had passed the Age Limit amendments while the second was filed in 2018 after President Museveni assented to the Age Limit Bill.
The appellants were given a deadline with in which to file their submissions and evidence but the period expired without expressing interest and on Monday, July 13, their lawyers wrote to court seeking to abandon the case.
This was however settled on Tuesday when the matter came up for hearing via video Conferencing. Currently it’s Lawyer Male Mabirizi’s case over the same that is pending judgment before the same court.