Uganda anti-homosexuality law may be overturned

According to a report by PRI.org, the controversial law in Uganda that criminalizes homosexuality may be repealed in the constitutional court in Kampala, the country's capital. The law has garnered international attention when it was signed into law by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni in December last year.

Under the law, gay couples or partners who had sexual relations are prosecuted in the country. The law also, unfortunately, criminalizes those who promote gay rights.

Buzzfeed said that the first day of hearings was over the legal adoption of the law considering that there was no quorum as required when Speaker Rebecca Kadaga called for a vote to pass the law late last year.

Attorney Nicholas Opiyo told the constitutional court judges, "This is a fundamental provision, my lords, intended to protect the integrity of parliament. This procedure, my lords, was ignored by the honorable speaker of the House."

Opiyo, after the hearing, believes that the constitutional court will be deciding on this particular challenge as oppose to the other argument, which poses whether the law violates fundamental rights protected by the country's constitution. He said that should this be the case, the law will effectively be repealed under this basis as early as Thursday morning.

The Ugandan Constitutional Court has been favorable to the LGBT community with regard to their rights in the country. In 2006, Buzzfeed said trans activist Victor Mukasa won his case against the country attorney general for raiding his house while he was the head of a nonprofit group called Sexual Minorities Uganda. Activist David Kato followed in Mukasa's footsteps and sued the shuttered local tabloid Rolling Stone regarding the series of articles it published that outed LGBT people.

Lester Feder, who has been covering the court hearings from Uganda for Buzzfeed, said about the constitutional court's history with LGBT rights, "That's a very encouraging sign for LGBT activists. The courts might still be a good avenue for protecting LGBT rights, even as the political systems seem to be growing increasingly hostile."

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Ugandan Constitutional Court, Anti-Homosexuality Act repeal, Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act challenge verdict

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