Ugandan Judge Speaks of Backlash Since Invalidating Anti-Homosexuality Act

Uganda has a proud history of an independent Judiciary – one wonders how they are to withstand public sentiment when they rule for the Constitution and “against the people’ – or so it seems!

By Melanie Nathan, September 30, 2014.

The Ugandan Press is reporting on a two-day judicial symposium with judges of the appellate courts and a selected few from the high court as well as some from the East African region which focuses on how to effectively handle public interest cases.

Specifically the Press noted that the Ugandan Judges responded for the first time to the backlash they had experienced from their unanimous decision to declare the Anti-Homosexuality Act invalid, based on a technicality. The law was annulled for having been passed without the required quorum of one-third of all the members of Parliament.

Anti-homosexuality Judges Symposium

“One of the Court of Appeal/ Constitutional judges who annulled the anti-gay law has come out to say that they have received public backlash for having taken the decision they did.
Justice Solomy Bossa Balungi said that despite receiving the backlash from the public over the decision they took.”

Further the Daily Monitor noted that the Judge:

“…hit back at those criticizing them for having quashed the antigay law, saying their decision is in “black and white” and that those aggrieved can appeal in a higher court instead of lashing at them.”