Uganda's Constitutional Court has annulled tough anti-gay legislation
signed into law in February.
It ruled that the bill was passed by MPs in December without the
requisite quorum and was therefore illegal.
Homosexual acts were already illegal, but the new law allowed for life
imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality" and banned the
"promotion of homosexuality".
Several donors have cut aid to Uganda since the law was adopted.
'Null and void'
Uganda is a deeply conservative society where many people oppose
gay rights and the sentence for homosexual acts has always been life
imprisonment.
Earlier drafts of the anti-homosexuality act made it a crime not to
report gay people - which would have made it impossible to live as
openly gay - but this clause was removed.
However the legislation that was passed in parliament was "null and
void", the presiding judge at the Constitutional Court said, as not
enough lawmakers had been present to vote on the bill.
The law, which was signed by President Yoweri Museveni in February,
toughened up existing laws.
Lesbians were covered for the first time and those found living in a
same-sex marriage could have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The challenge to the law was brought by 10 petitioners, including
academics, journalists, both ruling and opposition MPs, human rights
activists and rights groups.
"The retrogressive anti-homosexuality act of Uganda has been struck
down by the constitutional court - it's now dead as a door nail," the
AFP news agency quotes prominent journalist Andrew Mwenda, one of
the petitioners, as saying.
The court has been packed this week for the hearings about the anti-
gay legislation
Kosiya Kasibayo, a lawyer for the state, said a decision had not been
made on whether to appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court,
the Associate Press news agency reports.
The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in the capital, Kampala, says
supporters of the anti-gay laws have been angered by the ruling of
the five judges.
They wonder whether their decision has anything to do with the
president's visit to Washington next week for the US-Africa Summit,
she says.
In June, the US imposed sanctions on the East African nation,
including travel restrictions on Ugandan officials involved in serious
human rights abuses.
The White House also cut funds to a number of programmes it is
running with the Ugandan authorities.
Several European nations - including Denmark, Norway, the
Netherlands and Sweden - had earlier cut aid.
But the Ugandan authorities have defended the law in the past, saying
President Museveni wanted "to demonstrate Uganda's independence
in the face of Western pressure and provocation".
Pastor Martin Ssempa, a vocal backer of the anti-homosexuality
legislation, told the BBC his supporters would be asking parliament to
investigate the impartiality of the judiciary.
Uganda's anti-homosexuality act:
Life imprisonment for gay sex, including MouthAction
Life imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality", including sex
with a minor or while HIV-positive
Life imprisonment for living in a same-sex marriage
Seven years for "attempting to commit homosexuality"
Between five and seven years in jail or a $40,700 (£24,500) fine or
both for the promotion of homosexuality
Businesses or non-governmental organisations found guilty of the
promotion of homosexuality would have their certificates of
registration cancelled and directors could face seven years in jail.

source: m.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28605400

Ok.

FINALLY. SENSE OF REASONING PREVAILS

ebonylady4real: FINALLY. SENSE OF REASONING PREVAILS

sense of reasoning?? what do u mean by that if i may ask