Court of Appeal Dismisses Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) Appeal

Court of Appeal has today struck out an appeal filed by the members of sexual minorities of Uganda (SMUG) challenging High Court’s maintenance Uganda Registration Services Bureau’s refusal to register them as an organization in Uganda.

The Civil Appeal arose from the 2018 decision by High Court Judge Patricia Wasswa Basaza, who ruled that the group could not be registered because they transacted activities of LGBTQI+, which is illegal in Uganda.

Here, the appellants (SMUG) were challenging the respondents' (URSB) stand that the association was against public policy because the company was formed for activities which were against public policy and not in the public interest.

Through a coram led by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, the appellants were successful on two grounds while the respondents were successful on four grounds which makes the former, the losers of the case.

The court did not award any costs to any party.