Byamukama Francis V Uganda
Byamukama Francis V Uganda (Criminal Appeal No. 397 of 2015) [2018] UGCA 134 (12 March 2018)
The Court of Appeal found that the trial in the High Court was fatally irregular due to the failure to properly appoint and swear in the assessors, the absence of a proper summing up to the assessors, and the lack of clear individual opinions from each assessor as required by law. These procedural lapses go to the root of the court's jurisdiction and the fairness of the trial, rendering the proceedings null and void. The court relied on the mandatory provisions of the Trial on Indictments Act and binding Supreme Court authority, holding that such irregularities are not curable and necessitate…
Source excerpt
- Trial Irregularities
- Role Of Assessors
- Summation Requirements
- Jurisdictional Errors