Kadaga wants centres for public to access passed laws
Aug 20, 2014
THE Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has complained that the public does not get access to the laws passed by Parliament.
By Paul Kiwuuwa
THE Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has complained that the public does not get access to the laws passed by Parliament.
“It is absurd, if the public does not get the laws passed by Parliament, to whom do we pass the laws and why?” Kadaga asked.
“Parliament has passed many Bills into laws but I wonder why the public does not have access to them and neither can they interpret the laws,” added Kadaga.
“The solution is we recommend that the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs creates public libraries or depository places countrywide, to enable the public access copies of the passed laws within the regional centers country wide.”Kadaga said.
Kadaga said this while receiving a petition from the coalition of Civil Society Organization (CSO) at Parliament.
The petitioners said since the ‘Domestic Violence Act 2010’ was enacted in 2010, it has never been functional.
Led by, Executive Director, Center for Domestic Violence Prevention, Tina Musuya, the petition said, “Through the Parliament Speaker, CSO wants a commitment from the finance ministry to issue a certificate of financial implications enabling the law of Domestic Violence functional. We want the ministry of internal affairs to train the Police to take charge of the law, so that the offenders of the domestic Violence laws are reprimanded.”
The petition adds, “the Domestic Violence law exists , but it calls for the commitments of the ministries of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Gender, Labour and Social Development and the Judicially to take charge of the Domestic violence laws.”
Musuya cited the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, 2011 saying “59% of women and 16 % of pregnant women experience domestic violence, while 28% of pregnant women experience sexual violence.”
Kadaga promised to forward their request to the House Committee on gender.
“Since the gender committee is considering several petitions, from the public, I am sure they will include the non-functioning of the Domestic Violence law in Uganda, “said Kadaga.
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