Reported by Elijah Igo
The High Court of Uganda sitting in Kampala has struck out a suit filed by former Makindye East Member of Parliament Hon. Michael Mabikke challenging the decision by the Law Development Centre (LDC) Management Committee revoking his postgraduate diploma in legal practice.
In a suit filed in January 2020, Mabikke alleged that the decision by the LDC’s Management Committee revoking his postgraduate diploma in legal practice was unconstitutional, wrongful, unjust, illegal, null and void in as much as it was arbitrary and contrary to the principles of natural justice.
Before the hearing, LDC raised various objections stating that the suit was an abuse of the court process because the issues raised were already adjudicated upon and determined by the court in another case (res judicata). LDC also argued that the case was time-barred.
While upholding the objections raised by LDC and striking court Mabikke’s suit, Honorable Justice Boniface Wamala held that the suit was an abuse of the court process and is incompetent.
In 2016, the Law Development Centre cancelled a postgraduate Diploma in legal practice awarded to Mike Mabikke with immediate effect together with other lawyers who were investigated over allegations of examination malpractice between 2004 and 2011. Mabikke has on a number of occasions unsuccessfully tried to challenge the cancellation in courts of law.
