TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................. i
APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF INSTRUMENTS .............................................................................................................. v
LIST OF CASES ............................................................................................................................ vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. vii
CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION: .................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 BACKGROUND OF DEATH PENALTY ............................................................................... 2
1.2STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ......................................................................................... .4
1.30BJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .............................................................................................. .4
1.4 HYPOTHESIS ........................................................................................................................... 5
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................................... 5
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER TW0 ............................................................................................................................. 7
2.0LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Death penalty in Ugandan view ................................................................................................. 7
2.2 International views on the Death Penalty ................................................................................ 17
CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................... 20
3.0 ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY. ........... 20
3.1 REASONS FOR ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY ............................................... 20
3.1.1 Justice system is not fallible ................................................................................................. 21
3.1.2Death penalty is Barbaric ...................................................................................................... 23
3.1.3 Violation ofHumanRights ................................................................................................... 26
3 .1.4 A Tool of Repression: ........................................................................................................... 28
3.1.5 It is Unconstitutional. ........................................................................................................... 30
3.1.6 Inequality .............................................................................................................................. 30
3.2.0 REASONS AGAINST ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY .................................. 31
3.2.1 The deterrence theory ........................................................................................................... 32
3.2.2 The Retributive Justice Theory ............................................................................................. 35
3.2.3 The Prevention Theory ......................................................................................................... 38
3.2.4 The Populist Theory ............................................................................................................ .40
3.2.5 Democracy ........................................................................................................................... .41
3.2.6 The Thr·eat of International Terrorism .................................................................................. 42
vii
CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................... 43
RELEVANT LAW ON THE DEATH PENALTY ...................................................................... .43
4.1. International law .................................................................................................................... .43
4.2.1 Constitutionallaw: ................................................................................................................ 50
4.2.2 Criminal law; ........................................................................................................................ 51
4.2.3 Martial law ............................................................................................................................ 52
4.2.4 Sharia law ............................................................................................................................. 54
4.3.1 The Death Penalty and the Right to Life .............................................................................. 54
4.3.2 The Prohibition against Torture, Cruel, Degrading and Inhuman Forms of Punishment. ... 57
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................... 64
5.0RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 64
5.1RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................... 64
5.1.1Moratorium and partial abolition ........................................................................................... 65
5.1.2 Reduction of capital offences ............................................................................................... 66
5.1.3 Mandatory death penalty sentence ....................................................................................... 67
5.1.4 Constitution litigation ........................................................................................................... 68
5.1.5 A need for a practical right of appeal. .................................................................................. 69
5.1.6 Protection of the disadvantaged convicts ............................................................................. 70
5.1.7 Addressing the Socio-Economic Factors .............................................................................. ?!
5.1.8 Alternative of a Life Imprisonment ...................................................................................... 72
5.2 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................... 72
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 74
CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION: The death penalty is a controversial form of punishment. It has been condemned and abolished in many States for being a violation of the right to life A considerable number of countries, including Uganda, have retained it. There has thus been a significant level of discussion on the subject. In Uganda, the debate reached its peak during the constitution making process that ended in 1995 when the majority of Constituent Assembly Delegates voted to retain the penalty amidst strong opposition from different circles. The death penalty also got considerable attention during the hearing of the 2003 Constitutional Petition filed by Susan Kigulla and 416 others. 1 Significant opposition emanated from Non-Governmental Organizations such as the Foundation for Human Rights initiative (FHRI) which lobbied the Constituent Assembly to exclude capital punishment in the 1995 Constitution. On the other hand the Constitutional Draft Commission, which was headed by Justice Benjamin Odoki, appreciated the strong opposition against the death penalty but nevertheless did not recommend its abolition2 • The death penalty is also endorsed by Article 22(1) of the constitution which provides that "No person shall be deprived of life intentionally except in execution of a sentence passed in a fair trial by a court competent jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence under the law of Uganda and the conviction and sentence have been confirmed by the highest appellate court"3 In the Penal Code Act, the death penalty is provided as the mandatory punishment for several offences, including murder, trea~on, armed robbery and smuggling. The death penalty is also a maximum punishment for other offences such as kidnap, rape and defilement4, Terrorism5.
SHABAN, B (2022). The Death Penalty in Uganda: Human Rights Violations Versus Crime Control Concerns. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/the-death-penalty-in-uganda-human-rights-violations-versus-crime-control-concerns
SHABAN, BAKOLE "The Death Penalty in Uganda: Human Rights Violations Versus Crime Control Concerns" Afribary. Afribary, 22 Aug. 2022, https://afribary.com/works/the-death-penalty-in-uganda-human-rights-violations-versus-crime-control-concerns. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
SHABAN, BAKOLE . "The Death Penalty in Uganda: Human Rights Violations Versus Crime Control Concerns". Afribary, Afribary, 22 Aug. 2022. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/the-death-penalty-in-uganda-human-rights-violations-versus-crime-control-concerns >.
SHABAN, BAKOLE . "The Death Penalty in Uganda: Human Rights Violations Versus Crime Control Concerns" Afribary (2022). Accessed April 26, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/the-death-penalty-in-uganda-human-rights-violations-versus-crime-control-concerns