Mbale: Court of Appeal clears  30 criminal cases heard in “scientific” session

The Court of Appeal has delivered 30 judgments arising from its   “scientific” criminal session held at Mbale High Court last month.

A panel of three Justices; Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, Cheborion Barishaki and Muzamiru Kibeedi delivered the judgments in which they acquitted two persons who had been sentenced to death.

The two appellants were convicted for murder by Mbale High Court in 2012. “

"This is to authorize and require you to release the said Mwanje Peter and Wegulo Martin from custody, unless held on any other lawful charges,” the judgment read in part.

The court also quashed the conviction and set aside the sentence of two appellants who had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The appellant court also set aside the conviction and sentence of one of the appellants with orders that the “original trial judge completes conviction and sentencing process.”

Three appeals were dismissed for lack of merit and these included an appeal by the state where they sought to overturn an acquittal of 12 people on charges of arson, inciting violence, doing grievous harm and assault.

They had been acquitted on the first appeal.

Fifteen convicts also had their sentences reduced and these included two people whose life imprisonment sentences were reduced to 20 years “commencing on the date of their conviction by the High Court”.

During the Court session in Mbale last month, the court has instantly delivered five judgments and will soon deliver the remaining five to complete the session.

The Court is also expected to deliver its decisions arising from a criminal appeals session earlier held at Mbarara next week.