Court to give verdict over editors' appeal against press accreditation

COURT | SECURITY | MEDIA

The High Court will on Monday (January 11, 2021), give its verdict, restraining the Media Council or those, such as the Uganda Police Force from enforcing the directives until the determination of the main application.

The Uganda Editors Guild and the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) went to court seeking to quash what they termed illegal, irregular and irrational directive of the Media Council to accredit journalists to cover the elections.

Daniel Kalinaki the Interim Chairman of the Uganda Editors Guild and General Manager, Editorial Nation Media Group Uganda swore an affidavit in support.

The Editors Guild and CEPIL are also seeking a temporary injunction restraining the Media Council or those, such as the Uganda Police Force acting under the regulator's guidelines on accreditation from enforcing the directives until the determination of the main application.

Last week, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech warned that police and sister security agencies shall recognise only journalists and media practitioners who are accredited by the Media Council, during the coverage of political campaigns and other electoral events.

Lokech noted that accreditation process which has been open to all media practitioners expires today December 31, 2020.

"As we had indicated in our communication of 14.12.2020, the accreditation will help us distinguish journalists who are compliant from those who are holding out. The Media Council has generated a list of all journalists who have been accredited, registered and are compliant with valid Media Council press badges, which shall operate as a working tool by the bonfide journalists," Lokech noted.

He also said that all accredited journalists and media practitioners, "Must visibly wear their press badges at all times, while covering the political campaigns and electoral events. They should also know that the media press badges are personalized and therefore, non-transferable."

Lokech reminded all accredited journalists that Police zonal and territorial commanders have been availed the list of all successfully accredited journalists for ease of verification.

"This arrangement will help us, accord journalists, better protection over the remaining electoral process," Lokech said.