Lawyer Male Mabirizi has dragged the Ugandan government to the East African Court of Justice for de-registering his suit.
In his petition, Mabirizi states that on March 20th 2020, he filed an application challenging the directive issued on March 18th by President Yoweri Museveni in which among others ordered for the closure of several institutions like Churches, bars and schools to help in the prevention of the spreading of the coronavirus.
Mr. Mabirizi however states that on the day he challenged the legality of the directives, he filed another Application seeking for a temporary injunction restraining any Uganda Government official or agency from implementing the directives.
Mabirizi states that besides, he filed another application for a Certificate of urgency to be issued in respect of his applications but none was allocated to a Judge despite his efforts.
According to his evidence before the East African Court, Mabirizi states that on March 30th 2020, he was shown a handwritten statement by the Administrative Head of the High Court Civil Division, Dr Andrew Bashaija ordering that his cases must be de-registered and their serial numbers given to other cases.
He alleges that Justice Bashaija reasoned that the cases ought not to have been filed in the first place because the filing compromised national security and public health, the decision Mr. Mabirizi now argues that they were a failure of the duty to adjudicate disputes by Uganda High Court which was done without any judicial process and with intentions to deny him a right to a fair hearing and access to remedy.
Mabirizi now wants the East African Court of Justice to declare that the actions by the Ugandan High Court were illegal and that court should order for the reinstatement of his suit so that it can be heard. Mr. Mabirizi speaking……
Mr. Mabirizi had also sought of an unconditional release of all vehicles impounded and damages to every Ugandan who could have been arrested in the wake of these alleged illegalities. The Spokesperson of the Judiciary Solomon Muyita said that it’s true the matter was de-registered from court records on grounds that it was not one that could be heard and that Mabirizi was informed about the de-registration. END