Ugandan president bans bail for murder suspects

Bail is a constitutional right, you can't stop it

The Chief Justice Bart Katureebe has responded to President Museveni's proposal of denying bail to murder suspects, saying it is illegal and cannot be done.

On June 14, during the reading of the national budget, President Museveni said bail to
suspected killers is unacceptable.

But the chief justice says that this can only be so if the constitution is amended.
"It is simple: the issue of bail is governed by the Constitution and the law. Until the law is amended, bail will be granted or denied in accordance with the constitution and the law," Katureebe explains in a press release dated June 15.

He adds that courts presume all accused people innocent until they are proven guilty in a trial, the very reason they have a right to apply for bail and the courts have the discretion to grant or deny the applications.