TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration ................................................................................................................. I
Approval ..................................................................................................................... ll
Dedication ................................................................................................................. lll
Acknowledgement ................................................................................................... IV
List of instruments ................................................................................................... V
List of cases ............................................................................................................... VI
Bibliography ............................................................................................................. VII
Acronyms ................................................................................................................ VIII
Table of contents ..................................................................................................... IX
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................ 1
1..0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background of the study ..................................................................................... 2
1.2 Statement of the problem .................................................................................. 6
1.3 Aims and objectives of the study ....................................................................... 6
1.4 Research questions .............................................................................................. 7
1.5 Significance of the study ..................................................................................... 7
1.6 Research methodology ........................................................................................ 8
1. 7 Scope of the study ................................................................................................ 9
1.8 Outline of the chapters ...................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER TWO: ......................................................................................................... 12
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 12
2.1 Ugandan view on death sentence SUZAN KIGULA Vs .................................... 12
2.2. International view on death penalty in relation to human rights ............... 14
2.2.11nternationallnstruments on death penalty in relation to human rights21
2.2.2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights {UDHR) .......................................... 22
2.2.3 International Convention on Civil and Political Rights {ICCPR) .................. 23
X
2.2.4 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, inhuman or Degrading ..... 29
2.3 Regional Instruments on death penalty in relation to human rights ........... 32
2.3.1 The African Charter on Human Rights {ACHR) .............................................. 32
2.3.2 European Court of Human Rights & European Convention on Human
Rights {ECHR) ............................................................................................................... 36
CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................ .40
3.0THE DEATH PENALTY IN UGANDA .................................................................. 40
3.1 Background to death penalty ............................................................................ .40
3.2 The mandatory death penalty in Uganda ......................................................... 44
3.3 Exemptions to the mandatory death penalty in Uganda ............................... 46
3.4 Process of sentencing and execution ................................................................ 49
3.5 Death row phenomenon and fundamental human rights ............................. 53
3.6 The death penalty and the right to fair trial. .................................................... 56
3.7 Uganda's compliance and non- compliance with the International Human
Rights standards ......................................................................................................... 57
CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................... 63
4.0 ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST DEATH PENALTY ......................................... 63
4.1 Arguments in retention's states ......................................................................... 63
4.2 Arguments in abolitionist states ......................................................................... 68
4. 3The political context in Uganda .......................................................................... 71
4.4 Kantian Ethics on the death penalty .................................................................. 74
4.5The theory of death penalty as cruel, inhuman or degrading form
Of punishment.. ........................................................................................................... 77
4.6 The death row phenomenon and the principle of judicial discretion ........... 79
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CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................. 82
5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION$ ....................................................... 82
5.1 Summary of chapters .......................................................................................... 82
5.2Recommendations ................................................................................................. 82
5.3 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 89
CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION Death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for the crime1. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital offenses. The term capital originates from the Latin word "capita/is", which literally mean "of the head", derived via the Latin capita/is from caput, the head. In this context alluded to execution by beheading. Globally there is a clear trend that is geared towards limiting the use of death penalty, notably, the number of countries that either limit or abolish the use of capital punishment is on the rise.150 countries out of the 193 United Nations (UN) members states have abolished the death penalty. 2 The death penalty is therefore, currently confined to a small minority of countries like Uganda. In the promulgation process of the 1995 Uganda constitution a lot of debate was on the retention of death penalty that was greatly opposed by majority of the citizen; thus upon enactment it is sanctioned 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 of competent jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Uganda and the conviction and sentence have been confirmed by the highest appellate court." The statutes that attracts or prescribe offences that attract the death penalty are: The Penal Code Act Cap 1203, The Anti-Terrorism Act 20024 amended in 2015 and The Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) Act Cap 307 Laws of Uganda 19925•
