The Justice System And The Law On Defilement In Uganda Acase Study Of Lira District

TABLE O:F CONTENTS

DECLARATION .........••.•••••..•..•.••............••...•..•.•..•.••.•....••...•...•..•.•.•....•.••.•....•...••••...............•......... i

APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................. iii

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................... v

LIST OF CASES ......................................................................................................................... viii

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

1.0 Definition .................................................................................................................................. !

1.1 THE HEIRACHY, COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION OF COURTS IN UGANDA .... 2

1.2.1. Pre-colonial Uganda ............................................................................................................ 8

1.2.2 Colonial era ........................................................................................................................... 8

1.2.3 Post- colonial era .................................................................................................................. 9

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................................... 10

1.4 PURPOSE OF STUDY ......................................................................................................... 10

1.4.1 GENERAL OBECTIVE .................................................................................................... 10

1.5 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...................................................................... 10

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................... 11

1.7 SCOPE .................................................................................................................................... 11

CI-IAPTER TW0 ........................................................................................................................... 12

2.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 12

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 12

2.2 PUR.POSE OF CRIMINAL LAW ....................................................................................... 17

2.2.1 Social control and social morality ..................................................................................... 18

2.2.2 Retribution .......................................................................................................................... 18

2.2.3 Deterrence ........................................................................................................................... 19

2.2.4 Incapacitation ..................................................................................................................... 19

2.2.5 Rehabilitation ..................................................................................................................... 19

2.3 THE LAW OF DEFILEMENT ............................................................................................ 20

2.3.1 The ingredients of the offence ........................................................................................... 20

2.3.2 Punishments ........................................................................................................................ 22

2.3.3 Jurisdiction ......................................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 24

3.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 24

vi

3.1 Approach ................................................................................................................................ 24

In order to assess the effectiveness of the law of defilement as a means of combating this

vice in Uganda, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used .................................. 24

3.2 Study area .............................................................................................................................. 24

3.3 Data collection ........................................................................................................................ 24

3.3.1 Compilation of data and reporting of the results ............................................................ 24

3.3.2 Incidences of defilement in Lira district ........................................................................... 25

3.3.4 The apparent increase in the incidences of the offence of defilement ............................ 26

CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................... 30

4.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 30

4.1 Investigations and prosecution of defilement cases ............................................................ 30

4.2 Community role ..................................................................................................................... 30

4.3 Local Council ......................................................................................................................... 30

4.4 The Police ............................................................................................................................... 31

4.5 Medical officers ...................................................................................................................... 32

4.6 The Resident State Attorney ................................................................................................ 32

4. 7 Courts ..................................................................................................................................... 32

4.8 Probation and ,velfare officers ............................................................................................. 33

4.9 Prisons .................................................................................................................................... 33

4.10 Factors that hinder investigations and prosecution of defilement cases ........................ 34

CI-IAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................... 36

RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 36

5.1 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................... 38

Questionnaire guide for the registrar of court (criminal) ........................................................ 41

REFERENCES .................................................................................... 47