The national lawyers' group is begging Uganda's top judges to finally rule on an old case, keeping a man in prison. The Uganda Law Society sent a letter to the Supreme Court about the five-year-old appeal involving the Attorney General and former accountant Geoffrey Kazinda. They say the delay means Kazinda stays locked up illegally at Luzira prison, a situation that began over a decade ago.
The society is worried Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo, who led the hearing, will retire in roughly a month without giving a verdict. They fear his departure could cause even longer delays if a new judicial panel must be formed. Kazinda was originally convicted on fraud charges, but those rulings were tossed out by lower appeals courts years ago. A constitutional court even ordered his release back in 2020, a decision the state blocked by appealing to the Supreme Court.
That high court appeal was first argued in 2021 and heard again last year after some judges changed. There has still been no final judgment. The legal group says Kazinda is still in custody only because the Supreme Court has not made its decision, despite previous courts clearing him.
The society is worried Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo, who led the hearing, will retire in roughly a month without giving a verdict. They fear his departure could cause even longer delays if a new judicial panel must be formed. Kazinda was originally convicted on fraud charges, but those rulings were tossed out by lower appeals courts years ago. A constitutional court even ordered his release back in 2020, a decision the state blocked by appealing to the Supreme Court.
That high court appeal was first argued in 2021 and heard again last year after some judges changed. There has still been no final judgment. The legal group says Kazinda is still in custody only because the Supreme Court has not made its decision, despite previous courts clearing him.
