By Ruth Anderah
Buganda Road Court has halted government’s move to ascertain the mental status of Makerere University Research Fellow Dr. Stellah Nyanzi until the Constitutional Court disposes off a petition she filed challenging the Mental Treatment Act of 1938.
Chief Magistrate James Ereemye Mawanda has ruled that Dr.Nyanzi has a strong case before the Constitutional Court in which she seeks to determine whether the compulsory subjecting of suspects to the Mental Treatment Act enacted during the colonial era is still relevant in the present day.
He has therefore temporarily suspended the prosecution’s prayer to examine Nyanzi’s mental status to allow the Constitutional Court exercise it’s powers without rendering the said petition useless.
The magistrate has also declined to cancel Dr. Nyanzi’s bail as earlier asked by the prosecution saying she cannot be condemned for merely expressing dissatisfaction with the numerous adjournments of her case.
However, the Ereemye has ordered that Dr.Nyanzi tones down the harsh language used in her face posts adding that the sanctity and integrity of courts must be respected.
The court has now adjourned to the 21st July 2017 Nyanzi’s case relating to cyber harassment and offensive communication against the person of the president.
