Lawyers start three-day strike
May 04, 2011
OVER a hundred Lawyers have started a three-day sit down strike at the High Court in Kampala protesting what they call excessive use force by the Police and the army in quelling demonstrations over rising food and fuel prices.
BY APOLLO MUBIRU AND NOAH JAGWE
OVER a hundred Lawyers have started a three-day sit down strike at the High Court in Kampala protesting what they call excessive use force by the Police and the army in quelling demonstrations over rising food and fuel prices.
Dressed in black robs and white neckline shirts, the Lawyers led by their association chairperson have presented a petition to the Chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki.
Security is tight at the Court premises but the rest of the city center is calm.
Uganda Law Society (ULS) president, Bruce Kyerere, said government should apologize to Ugandans for the lives lost, injuries and the damages caused in the recent protests in Kampala and other towns.
"There is upfront abuse of rule of law and human rights from security state organs and we don’t see remorse from government,"Kyerere said.
He explained that during the three-day strike, Lawyers will not go to Court to represent their clients as well as transacting any legal deals,"as a way of mourning the death of rule of law."
Kyerere said after the strike, they have resolved to offer free legal services to all the suspects jailed in connection to walk-to-work protests.
"This is to make a statement of displeasure on police brutality and the conduct of judiciary in the manner in which they are handling cases of arrested demonstrators," he said.
Last Thursday, security officials blocked Uganda's main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, as he drove to work, sparking a standoff that ended in his arrest after a plain clothed Policeman smashed his car windows and doused him in pepper spray.
“Our role as the Lawyers in this Country is to protect and uphold to the rule of law and constitutionalism. Our sit down strike has nothing to do with taking over power,†former ethics and integrity minister, Miria Matembe, said.
OVER a hundred Lawyers have started a three-day sit down strike at the High Court in Kampala protesting what they call excessive use force by the Police and the army in quelling demonstrations over rising food and fuel prices.
Dressed in black robs and white neckline shirts, the Lawyers led by their association chairperson have presented a petition to the Chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki.
Security is tight at the Court premises but the rest of the city center is calm.
Uganda Law Society (ULS) president, Bruce Kyerere, said government should apologize to Ugandans for the lives lost, injuries and the damages caused in the recent protests in Kampala and other towns.
"There is upfront abuse of rule of law and human rights from security state organs and we don’t see remorse from government,"Kyerere said.
He explained that during the three-day strike, Lawyers will not go to Court to represent their clients as well as transacting any legal deals,"as a way of mourning the death of rule of law."
Kyerere said after the strike, they have resolved to offer free legal services to all the suspects jailed in connection to walk-to-work protests.
"This is to make a statement of displeasure on police brutality and the conduct of judiciary in the manner in which they are handling cases of arrested demonstrators," he said.
Last Thursday, security officials blocked Uganda's main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, as he drove to work, sparking a standoff that ended in his arrest after a plain clothed Policeman smashed his car windows and doused him in pepper spray.
“Our role as the Lawyers in this Country is to protect and uphold to the rule of law and constitutionalism. Our sit down strike has nothing to do with taking over power,†former ethics and integrity minister, Miria Matembe, said.