KAMPALA – The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee failed to proceed with a meeting due to the lack of a substantial Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The Committee was set to handle the queries on the Law Revision fines instrument of 2021 this but could not proceed after the Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi declined to take up the responsibility as a Minister on the matter.
Section 2 of the Act on fines and other financial amounts in Criminal Matters Act No. 14 of 2008 defines the Minister as one fully responsible for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The Committee Chairperson, also Gomba West MP Robinah Rwakoojo says, Mr. Kafuuzi declined to assume the title of Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, that the Committee had preferred to answer the queries.
Kafuuzi had appeared before the committee to answer queries concerning the Law Revision Fines Instrument of 2021.
It was not stated as to why the substantial Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Gen Kahinda Otafire could not make it to the committee meeting.
Rwakoojo says, once Mr. Kafuuzi declined to assume the title, the committee had no opportunity to proceed with the meeting, but to call it off, until a substantive Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs was available.
Rwakoojo appealed for more time from the Speaker to the committee to review the instrument.
Section 2 of the Fines and other Financial Amounts in Criminal Matters act, No. 14 of 2008 defines the Minister as one fully responsible for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah quashed the committee decision to turn away the Deputy Attorney General saying, the committee’s interest was the information given and not the individual who signed the documents.
“Was it a matter of a specific individual or a resourceful person who would handle the matter?” he questioned.
Oulanyah says, any resourceful person would provide the information that the committee needed, and business continues.
“It’s difficult to tell if the committee was right in its decision to turn away the Deputy Attorney General, but I would be of the opinion that they would have preceded with the meeting,” Oulanyah added.
However, Bugiri Municipality Legislator Asuman Basalirwa also Shadow Attorney General says, the Committee had a position which Chairperson Rwakoojo ably presented.
Basalirwa remarked that the Office of the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs has far reaching implications on the country’s laws, with several government departments stuck with publications and decisions pending the signature of the Minister for Justice as clarified by the statute.
“The Office of the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs is quite important in government transactions and decisions. We need this issue sorted,” he said.
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Basalirwa added that the committee found it quite difficult to continue with the discussion since Kafuusi was not formally designated as the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Oulanyah also objected to the committee request for more time to consider the statutory instrument as presented by Committee Chairperson Robinah Rwakoojo.
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