The Uganda Law Society (ULS) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) have strongly condemned the charging of former Kampala Lord Mayor and senior lawyer Erias Lukwago with misprision of treason.
They described the prosecution as an attack on the legal profession and the administration of justice.
In separate statements issued yesterday, the two bar associations questioned the circumstances surrounding Lukwago’s arrest and subsequent prosecution, warning that the case could have a chilling effect on lawyers representing clients in politically sensitive cases.
Lukwago, who is one of the lead defence lawyers of Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Obeid Lutale, was yesterday charged with misprision of treason and remanded to Luzira Prison until Monday next week when the state is expected to respond to his bail application.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lino Anguzu, the president of the Uganda Law Society, Isaac Ssemakadde, condemned the decision to prosecute Lukwago.
He argued that Lukwago’s actions as a lawyer could not reasonably form the basis of a treason-related charge.
Across the border, the Law Society of Kenya echoed similar concerns, saying the case transcends the personal circumstances of Lukwago and touches on the ability of lawyers to represent clients without fear of intimidation or retaliation.
In a statement signed by its president, Charles Kanjama, the Kenyan Bar Association stressed that advocates must be free to discharge their professional obligations regardless of the nature of the cases they handle.
