(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the Uganda Law Council’s 22 August 2003 ban on lawyers appearing in the media without its permission and called for the measure to be dropped. Law Council Chairman Elijah Wante told the organisation the measure was aimed at preventing lawyers from “misusing the media” and “misleading the public” and that […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the Uganda Law Council’s 22 August 2003 ban on lawyers appearing in the media without its permission and called for the measure to be dropped.
Law Council Chairman Elijah Wante told the organisation the measure was aimed at preventing lawyers from “misusing the media” and “misleading the public” and that the only public stance permissible was that of the council.
“This ban is an arbitrary restriction on media activity, preventing coverage of news of the judiciary or reporting unauthorised remarks by lawyers,” RSF said in a letter to Attorney General Francis Ayume. “It is normal to want to protect legal confidentiality and the smooth running of the legal system, but this more general measure is unreasonable and an act of pure censorship that obstructs the freedom to inform the public and to be informed,” RSF said.
The ban was contained in a council directive on 22 August, recalling Law Council regulation 22 (from 1977), which forbids lawyers from writing articles, speaking to the media or making any other media appearance without the Law Council’s expressed permission.
The Law Council is an official regulatory body that registers all lawyers and can suspend or deregister its members.
