• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Science
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech
Computer Misuse Amendment Bill

Do not Assent to Computer Misuse Amendment Bill- HRNJ Appeals to Museveni

October 3, 2022
BREAKING: France name Mbappe new Captain

BREAKING: France name Mbappe new Captain

March 21, 2023
BREAKING: Tanzania confirms five dead in new Marburg outbreak

BREAKING: Tanzania confirms five dead in new Marburg outbreak

March 21, 2023
Breaking: Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

Breaking: Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

March 21, 2023
Robbers raid church steal holy communion, injure priests

Robbers raid church steal holy communion, injure priests

March 21, 2023
How KCCA sold 10 acres of land at Shs38billion

How KCCA sold 10 acres of land at Shs38billion

March 21, 2023
Police station attackers have political motives – Enanga

Why you still need to seek police permission for public gatherings, processions

March 21, 2023
child murders

Six suspected homosexuality recruiters arrested

March 21, 2023
Adebayor calls it a day to his mixed career of triumph and controversy

Adebayor calls it a day to his mixed career of triumph and controversy

March 21, 2023
KCCA FC host Mbarara city

KCCA FC host Mbarara city

March 17, 2023
Museveni revives Covid19 masks, certificates to public offices

Museveni parliament speech: hits, misses

March 16, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
News 24/7
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business
    • Politics
    • Science
    • World
    BREAKING: Tanzania confirms five dead in new Marburg outbreak

    BREAKING: Tanzania confirms five dead in new Marburg outbreak

    Breaking: Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

    Breaking: Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

    Robbers raid church steal holy communion, injure priests

    Robbers raid church steal holy communion, injure priests

    How KCCA sold 10 acres of land at Shs38billion

    How KCCA sold 10 acres of land at Shs38billion

    Police station attackers have political motives – Enanga

    Why you still need to seek police permission for public gatherings, processions

    child murders

    Six suspected homosexuality recruiters arrested

    KCCA FC host Mbarara city

    KCCA FC host Mbarara city

    Museveni revives Covid19 masks, certificates to public offices

    Museveni parliament speech: hits, misses

    Lapaire, News 24/7 sign partnership

    Lapaire, News 24/7 sign partnership

    Two dead, five injured in Maracha District accident

    Boda boda man stoned to death in Arua

    Trending Tags

    • Donald Trump
    • Future of News
    • Climate Change
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    Adebayor calls it a day to his mixed career of triumph and controversy

    Adebayor calls it a day to his mixed career of triumph and controversy

    KCCA FC host Mbarara city

    KCCA FC host Mbarara city

    Lapaire, News 24/7 sign partnership

    Lapaire, News 24/7 sign partnership

    fred-enanga Police spokesperson

    Noise polluters to be prosecuted – Police

    VIDEO; Chameleon and weasel filmed kissing in Public…Again

    Mandela national stadium namboole

    Five years later: Uganda Cranes still homeless

    Christian Atsu has been found dead, confirms his agent

    Christian Atsu has been found dead, confirms his agent

    Don’t make sex videos on Valentine’s – Police

    Don’t make sex videos on Valentine’s – Police

    The actual meaning of Valentines day has nothing to do with flowers, chocolate, gifts or sex

    The actual meaning of Valentines day has nothing to do with flowers, chocolate, gifts or sex

    Ladies; Sex is not a Valentines gift – Real Gift Ideas for him

    Ladies; Sex is not a Valentines gift – Real Gift Ideas for him

  • Watch Now
  • Sports
  • Shot Stories
  • Fact Checker
No Result
View All Result
News 24/7
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Do not Assent to Computer Misuse Amendment Bill- HRNJ Appeals to Museveni

The letter says that the clause fails to define which information about someone can be shared without one risking legal peril and that it also infringes on the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and of the media.

Dorothy Nalumansi by Dorothy Nalumansi
October 3, 2022
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Computer Misuse Amendment Bill
ADVERTISEMENT

The Human Rights Network for Journalists-HRNJ, an organization that advocates for media rights, has written to President Yoweri Museveni beseeching him not to sign into law, the recently passed Computer Misuse Amendment Bill. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The bill sponsored by the Kampala Central Member of Parliament Muhammad Nsereko was recently passed by Parliament making it a crime to write, send or share what the law calls hateful, unsolicited, misleading, or malicious information online. The law also criminalises the use of photos on social media without the express permission of the owners.  

But HRNJ Executive Director Robert Ssempala says that the amendment has several clauses that raise more questions than provide answers. Among the highlighted clauses in the Bill include; clause 2(a) which seeks to make unauthorized access to information an offence.

ADVERTISEMENT

The letter says that the clause fails to define which information about someone can be shared without one risking legal peril and that it also infringes on the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and of the media.

“The limitations of this protection have been laid down by the Supreme Court of Uganda in the case of Charles Onyango Obbo V Attorney General and clearly this Bill seeks to go way and beyond that,” the letter says.  It also notes that there is a rise in the concept of citizen journalism where people film and forward rights abuses which have in the past led to a successful prosecution of perpetrators. 

If the Bill is signed into law as it is, HRNJ argues, it will kill this citizen vigilance which in the past has proven essential in law-and-order enforcement. The letter also argues that other clauses such as the one that deals with the privacy of children also disregard the fact that some of the gruesome acts against them are committed by their parents. 

Therefore, if one must seek the consent of their parents to film, let alone circulate such a video, this will perpetuate the abuse of children’s rights.

HRNJ is also uncomfortable with Clause 6 of the Bill which prohibits sharing misleading or malicious information. The letter says the bill falls short of defining what constitutes malicious or misleading information hence making it prone to abuse.  “It is a trite principle of legislative drafting that a good lawyer should be simple, to understand in order to enable easy interpretation, implementation and enforcement. 

The Supreme Court…has already ruled on the parameters of regulating what amounts to false information. The court even declared unconstitutional the penal offence of spreading false news. In as far as the Bill is seeking to reintroduce the same offence, using other words, this tantamount to overturning a court judgement by legislation which is unconstitutional,” the letter reads. 

Addressing the media today at their headquarters in Bukoto, Ssempala said the President must prevail over parliament because the law that was passed disregarded the opinion of all those who presented their views during consultations. Ssempala said all the 17 groups and individuals who presented their views to parliament opposed the amendment hence wondering whose views that parliament represents.

Speaking at the same event, Michael Aboneka, a lawyer and human rights advocate said any good law must seek to cure mischief. But the Nsereko-sponsored amendment creates more mischief than it is seeks to cure.

Aboneka said the President should not even send back the Bill to parliament to be amended but must reject it altogether. He said if this doesn’t happen and he assents to it, they will be left with no option but to go to court.

“I have not seen any cases that the police or the DPP have got a conviction for arising from the Computer Misuse Act, so why do they want to waste our money on a law that is not going to be successful in implementation? 

The president has a responsibility to make it easy for us and all Ugandans and refuses to assent to it. But if he goes ahead and signs this Bill, of course, we shall go to court,” Aboneka said. For Allan Ssempala Kigozi a legal officer at Unwanted Witness, the amendment instead of ensuring freedom of expression, will in fact limit it. Kigozi said that the available laws sufficiently address all the concerns that parliament had. 

for more click here

Tags: nsereko
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Kampala Residents Not Yet Vigilant over Ebola Outbreak

Next Post

Fort Portal; Health Worker Dies of Ebola

Dorothy Nalumansi

Dorothy Nalumansi

Next Post
fort portal ebola

Fort Portal; Health Worker Dies of Ebola

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Why more Ugandans in diaspora want policy on migrant workers reviewed

UAE stops Issuance of 30-day Visas to Ugandans

October 24, 2022
Kampala Massage

“I have live sex with 18 clients a day” – Kampala massage therapist

October 2, 2022

Muhoozi Promotion is Actually a demotion – Solomon Serwanjja

October 5, 2022
Immaculate Kibekyenga Corruption unit

Anti Corruption unit saves Girl from Saudi Organ Harvest racket

5
4.8 Billion Collected in Traffic Police Operations

4.8 Billion Collected in Traffic Police Operations

3
Doctor on ebola frontline speaks to us annonymously

“We are denied PPE, threatened and intimidated” – Exclusive Interview with a doctor on the Ebola Frontline

3
BREAKING: France name Mbappe new Captain

BREAKING: France name Mbappe new Captain

March 21, 2023
BREAKING: Tanzania confirms five dead in new Marburg outbreak

BREAKING: Tanzania confirms five dead in new Marburg outbreak

March 21, 2023
Breaking: Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

Breaking: Parliament passes Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023

March 21, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
News 247

Copyright © 2021 24/7 Broadcasting Ltd. [email protected]

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Virtual Exhibition
    • Politics
    • Business
    • World
    • Science
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • Travel
  • Shot Stories
  • Fact Checker

Copyright © 2021 24/7 Broadcasting Ltd. [email protected]