Efficacy of Principles of Natural Justice in Safeguarding a Right to a Fair Hearing in East Africa. Case Study of Uganda.

ABSTRACT The right to a fair hearing is one of the fundamental human rights that is recognized under article 28 of 1995 constitution of Uganda. The right to a fair hearing, like any other right to be promoted and protected throughout East Africa, especially Uganda. It is fundamentary entrusted in the hands of judicial officers and administrative officers in general who are charged with the duty that the principles contained therein are enjoined while administering just ice. The researcher was intended to critically examine the efficacy of principles of natural justice in safeguarding the right to a fair hearing. As it is universally known, a reject to a fair hearing cannot be recognized where there is breach of principles of natural justice simply because itself is a principle of justice. The research contains introduction, a brief back ground of a right to a fair hearing, literature review, key aspects of a right to a fair hearing, remedies available in case of breach, efficacy of principles of natural justice; The research also contains impediments to realization of a right to a fear hearing and possible solutions to the impediments. And finally the researcher under chapter five makes possible recommendations and conclusive remarks. During the research the research finds that the principles of natural justice through the application have greatly enabled the realisation the few challenges or impediments hindering the realisation of a right to a fair hearing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................ i

APPROVAL ................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION ............................................................................................. iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................•........................................ v

LIST OF CASES ......................................................................................... vii

ABSTRACT ................................. ··········· ................ ······ ............................... X

CHAPTER ONE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.0 CHAPTER SUMMARY ........................................................................... 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1

1.2 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................... 2

1.3 STATEMENT OF A PROBLEM ............................................................... 4

1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 5

1.5 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .............................................. 5

1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...................................................................... 6

1.7.SCOPE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................ 6

1. 7 .1 Theoretical scope ...................................................................... 6

l. 7 .2 Geographical scope .................................................................. 7

1.7.3 Time scope ............................................................................... 7

l. 7.4 Conceptual scope ..................................................................... 7

1.8 SIGNIFICANCY OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 7

1.9 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 8

1.10 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 8

1.11 CHAPTERISATION ............................................................................ 10

CHAPTER TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF A RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING IN

UGANDA SINCE 1962-TODATE ............................................................... 12

2.1 A right to a fair hearing is one of the fundamental and guaranteed rights

by all Uganda's constitutions since 1962 .................................................. 12

V

CHAPTER THREE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

KEY ASPECTS OF A RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING AND REMEDIES

AVAILABLE IN CASE OFBREACH . .......................................................... 15

3.1 KEY ASPECTS OF A RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING ............................... 15

3.2 REMEDIES IN CASE OF BREACH OF ARIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING .. 21

CHAPTER FOUR ...................................................................................... 35

EFFICACY OF PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL JUSTICE IN SAFEGUARDING A

RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING IN UGANDA ............................................... 35

4.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 35

4.1 IMPENDIMENTS TO REALISATION OF A RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING. 39

4.2 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO DENIAL OF THE RIGHT TO A FAIR

HEARING IN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS IN UGANDA .................... 43

CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................... 47

RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSIVE REMARKS ............................. 47

5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................ 47

5.2 CONCLUSIVE REJVIARKS .................................................................... 48

BIB LI OG RAPHY ........................................................................................ 49

WEBSITE ................................................................................................. 50

JOURNALS AND ARTICLES ...................................................................... 51