The\nSexual Offences Bill will be re-tabled following an impasse at the committee\nstage where it was supposed to be processed clause by clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nbill was introduced in the Ninth Parliament by Kumi District Woman\nRepresentative, Hon Monicah Amoding in 2015 and was before the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which\npresented a report four years later on Wednesday, 13 February 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nbill seeks to consolidate laws relating to sexual offences and provide\nprocedural and evidential requirements during trial of sexual offences and\nproposes several measures to check among others, sexual harassment in schools\nby guardians or teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During\nthe processing of the Bill on Tuesday, 19 February 2019, the Deputy Speaker,\nJacob Oulanyah, wondered why there were many amendments to the original bill\nand advised that it should be reconsidered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe\namendments seem to be bigger than the bill which completely changes the\ncharacter of the original bill presented for consideration. It is not easy to\nprocess because it is no longer the same bill,\u201d Oulanyah said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oulanyah\nadvised that given that the leave of Parliament for Amoding was still on\ncourse, it would be prudent to re-write the bill and include the proposed\namendments for ease of processing by the House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf\nyou agree with the amendments, it might make sense for you to withdraw this\nbill, and publish a new bill with all these amendments incorporated,\u201d Oulanyah\nadvised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amoding\nexpressed concern over the slow progress of the bill since its inception in the\nNinth Parliament and called on the House to consider the bill in its current\nstate with the proposed amendments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\nbeg that you skip some technicalities to allow this bill be read and the\nprovisions be saved, and then allow the Ministry of Justice to bring their\namendments on the Floor,\u201d Amoding said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nDeputy Speaker however, added that rewriting the bill and owing to the several\namendments made was to protect the interests of Ugandans whom the bill directly\ninfluences and affects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis\nlaw when passed, will affect all the people of this country so we cannot afford\nto make mistakes. The amendments made have not been seen by anybody apart from\nyou [Amoding],\u201d Oulanyah said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chairperson of the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Jacob Oboth said the Ministry of Justice was opposed to certain amendments because they are already in the Penal Code Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parliamentary News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Sexual Offences Bill will be re-tabled following an impasse at the committee stage where it was supposed to be processed clause by clause. The bill was introduced in the Ninth Parliament by Kumi District Woman Representative, Hon Monicah Amoding in 2015 and was before the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which presented a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27983,"featured_media":8297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[31],"class_list":["post-8296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"\n