The Constitutional Court has declared several provisions of the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 unconstitutional, ruling that parts of the law violate fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including freedom of expression and access to information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a unanimous decision by a five-justice panel, the court found that key sections of the law were vague, overly broad, and prone to abuse, effectively criminalising legitimate speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Irene Mulyagonja ruled that Sections 23, 26, 27 and 29 of the Computer Misuse Act, along with Section 162 of the Penal Code Act, are \u201cnull and void\u201d for failing the constitutional test of legality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court examined provisions that criminalised sharing information deemed to \u201cridicule,\u201d \u201cdemean,\u201d or \u201cpromote hostility,\u201d as well as those targeting anonymous communication and unsolicited content. It held that such offences lacked clear definitions, creating uncertainty and opening the door to arbitrary enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Petitioners\u2014including Unwanted Witness Uganda, African Centre for Media Excellence, and the Editors’ Guild\u2014argued that the provisions violated Articles 29 and 41 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and access to information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Attorney General defended the law, maintaining that the provisions were necessary to regulate harmful online conduct such as hate speech and malicious information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the court found that the restrictions went beyond acceptable constitutional limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The enactment of the Computer (Amendment) Bill into an Act of Parliament without complying with rule 24 (3) of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament was inconsistent with Articles 88 and 89 of the Constitution,” the judges said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond substance, the court also identified a critical procedural flaw in the enactment of the law. Evidence, including the Hansard of September 8, 2022 and affidavits from the Clerk to Parliament, showed that Parliament passed the amendments without verifying the required quorum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Mulyagonja held that this failure contravened Rule 24(3) of Parliament\u2019s Rules of Procedure made under Article 94 of the Constitution, rendering the enactment inconsistent with Articles 88 and 89.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a result, the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 is null and void,\u201d the court ruled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The judgment also struck down criminal libel provisions under Sections 162 and 163 of the Penal Code Act, citing their inconsistency with constitutional protections and international human rights obligations, including Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Concuring with the lead judgement, Justice Ketra Kitariisibwa Katunguka said Parliament had failed to comply with mandatory procedural rules, making the law invalid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said Section 162 of the Penal Code Act Contravenes objective of the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution because it is inconsistent with the International obligations of Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This court issues a permanent injunction to restrain the respondent and all government agencies, authorities and officials from enforcing the impugned provisions of sections 11, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the Computer Misuse Act and section 162 of the Penal Code Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She ordered the respondent to pay 30% of the costs of the petitioner’s legal costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other justices\u2014Esther Nambayo, Jesse Rugyema Byaruhanga, and John Mike Musisi\u2014also agreed, delivering a unanimous verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court issued a permanent injunction restraining government agencies from enforcing the impugned provisions, including Sections 11, 23, 26, 27, 28, and 29 of the Computer Misuse Act, and ordered the state to pay 30 percent of the petitioners\u2019 legal costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Editor:msserwanga@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Constitutional Court has declared several provisions of the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 unconstitutional, ruling that parts of the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[315],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law-order"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/download.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7960,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/ugandan-constitutional-court-strikes-down-criminalization-of-offensive-communication\/","url_meta":{"origin":16703,"position":0},"title":"Ugandan constitutional court strikes down criminalization of \u2018offensive communication\u2019","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"January 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In a unanimous decision by\u00a05 justices of the Constitutional Court , \u201csection 25 of the Computer Misuse Act has been nullified for being \"vague or overly broad to define the actual offence committed.\u201d The constitutional Court held that section 25 \u201ccurtails inherent freedoms of speech and expression that are guaranteed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/unnamed-1.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/unnamed-1.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/unnamed-1.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/unnamed-1.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/unnamed-1.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8943,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/constitutional-court-nullifies-the-marijuana-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":16703,"position":1},"title":"Constitutional Court Nullifies the Marijuana Law","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"May 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Court Reporters The Constitutional Court in \u00a0sitting in Kampala has annulled the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 2015 which had hitherto outlawed the sale and use of several narcotic drugs in the country because it was passed by parliament without the requisite quorum. The court ruling\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Court"","block_context":{"text":"Court","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/court\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-9.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-9.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-9.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-9.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13748,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/uganda-supreme-court-bans-military-trials-of-civilians\/","url_meta":{"origin":16703,"position":2},"title":"Uganda: Supreme Court Bans Military Trials of Civilians","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"February 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Immediately Halt Ongoing Trials of Civilians; Review Past Convictions Uganda\u2019s Supreme Court ruling declaring military trials of civilians unconstitutional. in a landmark decision the court further ruled that in its current formation , the General Court Martial and other military units should not hear criminal cases that carry custodial senstences\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/supreme-Court-.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/supreme-Court-.webp 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/supreme-Court-.webp 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11806,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/ugandas-constitutional-court-declines-to-nullify-in-its-entirety-the-anti-homosexual-law-refuses-to-issue-injunction-against-its-enforcement\/","url_meta":{"origin":16703,"position":3},"title":"Uganda’s Constitutional Court Declines To Nullify In Its Entirety The Anti- Homosexual Law, Refuses To Issue Injunction Against Its Enforcement","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda's constitutional court has declined nullify in its entirety the country's Anti Homosexual law. The court also rejected the petitioners prayer to issue an injunction against the law's enforcement in Uganda. The legislation was overwhelmingly passed by the national parliament in May last year. The decision was delivered by a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-317-1024x576-1.png","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-317-1024x576-1.png 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-317-1024x576-1.png 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-317-1024x576-1.png 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14879,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/court-affirms-constitutionality-of-polygamy-citing-cultural-and-religious-freedoms\/","url_meta":{"origin":16703,"position":4},"title":"Court Affirms Constitutionality of Polygamy, Citing Cultural and Religious Freedoms","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"July 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda\u2019s Constitutional Court has handed down a controversial decision - ruling that polygamous unions are constitutional. The landmark judgment now affirms the legality of polygamous marriages under customary and Islamic law. All the five justices led by lady Justice Margaret Tibulya dismissed a petition by the Women\u2019s Probono Initiative (WPI),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Justice Law & Order Sector (JLOS)"","block_context":{"text":"Justice Law & Order Sector (JLOS)","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/justice-law-order-sector-jlos\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2854,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/judges-cant-hold-two-offices-constitutional-court-rules\/","url_meta":{"origin":16703,"position":5},"title":"JUDGES CANT HOLD TWO OFFICES-CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"March 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The late Bob Kasango has won a petition he filed at the Constitutional Court challenging the appointment of Justice Mike Chibita as the Director of Public Prosecutions without resigning his job as a judge. In 2016, Kasango dragged the DPP and the Attorney General to the Constitutional Court arguing that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kakuru.png","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kakuru.png 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/kakuru.png 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0aOV-4lp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16703"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16705,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16703\/revisions\/16705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}