[2010] UGHC 143

[2010] UGHC 143

The court held that the election petition was premature and untenable in law because no election had taken place, no nomination had been made by the Electoral Commission, and no results had been published in the Gazette. Article 80(2) of the Constitution, while setting out qualifications for parliamentary...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2010] UGHC 143
Parties
Applicant: Hon. Sabila Herbert Kale; Respondent: Maket Latif
Court
High Court of Uganda
Jurisdiction
Uganda
Case Number
HCT-04-CV-MA-124-2010
Procedural Posture
Miscellaneous Application / Ruling on Preliminary Objection to Election Petition
Outcome
application granted; election petition struck out as premature
Legal Topics
Qualification for Parliament, Timing of Election Petitions, Internal Party Vetting
Source Language
en
Election Petitions Constitutional Law Qualification for Parliament Timing of Election Petitions Internal Party Vetting

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Parties

Hon. Sabila Herbert Kale

Applicant

Maket Latif

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Miscellaneous Application / Ruling on Preliminary Objection to Election Petition

  1. 1 Whether the election petition was prematurely filed before the occurrence of an election or nomination by the Electoral Commission.
  2. 2 Whether Article 80(2)(f) of the Constitution provides a standalone basis for barring a candidate from contesting parliamentary elections prior to nomination or election.
  3. 3 Whether the High Court has jurisdiction to entertain an election petition before the Electoral Commission has published results or nominations in the Gazette.

Ratio Decidendi

The court held that the election petition was premature and untenable in law because no election had taken place, no nomination had been made by the Electoral Commission, and no results had been published in the Gazette. Article 80(2) of the Constitution, while setting out qualifications for parliamentary candidates, does not itself provide a standalone cause of action for barring a candidate before the formal nomination or election process has commenced. The proper time to challenge a candidate's qualification is after the nomination or election process has been conducted by the Electoral Commission, as provided for under the Parliamentary Elections Act and its rules. The court further...

Court Disposition

application granted; election petition struck out as premature

Orders

  • Election Petition 002/2010 is struck off the register as premature.
  • The interim order issued on 27th August 2010 is vacated and declared to be of no legal effect.