Lecturers at Makerere University’s School of Law have turned down a request by the chairman of the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hon. Marksons Jacob Oboth to meet the said committee considering the controversial age limit debate.
The said request came in by means of a letter dated 12th October requesting the said legal brains to meet with the committee on 7th November and give their opinions and views about the matter.
However, in a reply to the above, the lecturers expressed strong reservations towards meeting with the committee while insisting that their opinions as regards the age limit ammendment are already known and it would be a waste of time meeting with the committee on the matter.
“We wish to thank you for the invitation to appear before your distinguished Committee. The details of the position of the Makerere University School of Law regarding the proposed amendment have already been widely shared via the print and electronic media, and we herewith attach a copy of the same for your records” their reply reads in part.
The lecturers said that after consultations from amongst themselves, their firm view is that the motion to introduce the Bill offends the spirit and letter oft the 1995 Constitution and is in essence very illegitimate.
“In the first place, it stands in the way of the first peaceful transfer of presidential power since the attainment of independence in 1962. Secondly, it violates all the principles of a constitutional democracy, and particularly, the twin doctrines of the Rule of Law and the Separation of Powers”, they asserted.
Consequently, they expressed their view that the said Bill is inappropriately before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and that attending to a meeting with the Committee would be providing credence to a matter whose ‘legitimacy and legality are completely untenable and demonstrably unfounded.’
The Law teachers, still in the letter, urge the Committee to disassociate itself from a process which seeks to ‘umavel the democratic pillars and principles constructed by the framers of the 1995 Constitution.’
However, still, not to be misunderstood, they expressed willingness to work with and guaranteed co-operation with the committee and parliament on other matters concerning the law and constitutionalism.
This, they said, is a mandate they will not run away from anytime.
A total of 21 lectures including the principal Prof. Christopher Mbazira and other professors like Oloka-Onyango, Sylvia Tamale, Ben Twinomujuni, David Bakibinga, and Fredrick Jjuko appended their signatures on the letter turning down the invitation.
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