Uganda Law Society Challenges Government Over Community Trial in Ggaba Child Killings

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has launched legal action against the government in the High Court’s Criminal Division, seeking to stop the ongoing ‘community trial’ of Christopher Okello Onyun, the main suspect in the tragic killing of four children at a Ggaba daycare centre.

The trial is taking place at Ggaba Community Church grounds, close to the crime scene, following a directive from President Museveni to hold it publicly for community involvement. ULS wants a permanent injunction against the Attorney General and judicial officers, demanding the case be moved to the High Court in Kampala.

Lawyers contend that the mobile court setup lacks judicial basis and stems from executive orders, breaching rules for such sessions. They highlight how holding it at the mourning site at the churchyard compromises the court’s impartiality.

Additional concerns include live-streaming, limited access, a rushed one-week timeline, and pre-trial guilt statements by ministers, all of which they say violate the presumption of innocence and deny the suspect proper defence preparation.

ULS criticizes the chain of presidential and ministerial instructions leading to quick judicial action as undue interference. They also note their exclusion from planning meetings with judiciary, police, and others, violating public participation norms.

The society compares it to past criticized field court martials. So far, six of 11 prosecution witnesses have testified, with proceedings resuming Wednesday. No response from the Attorney General yet.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)