The hearing of the case in which Attorney General Peter Nyombi sued the Uganda Law Society (ULS) over its decision to suspend him, is scheduled for December 9.
Attorney General Peter Nyombi insists Uganda Law Society has no powers to suspend him.
Justice Stephen Musota of the civil division of the High Court in Kampala set the date when the parties appeared in court.
The case arose on August 29 this year on the prompting of an extra-ordinary ULS meeting held in Kampala.
Nyombi was suspended on grounds that he misadvised President Yoweri Museveni on contentious matters. ULS also alleged that his opinions were inconsistent with the Constitution.
Court had scheduled Monday this week for the start of the case. But it flopped when Nyombi’s lawyer, Joseph Matsiko disclosed that ULS had not filed its defence.
It was noted that the mandatory 56 days in which ULS was expected to file its response was about to expire. The society had by Monday not filed it.
“We did serve the respondents [ULS] the notice of motion on September 24. It is now November 4 and they have not put in their affidavit in reply,” stated Matsiko, who added that he was ready to proceed.
ULS lawyer Mohammed Mbabazi admitted delay but asked for two more days to enable the law body file an appropriate response.
He explained that ULS instructed him to take up the case on its behalf.
Uganda Law Society had by Monday not filed its response to the suit in which attorney general Peter Nyombi is among others seeking court’s orders – quashing the two-year suspension imposed on him by the lawyers’ body for alleged incompetence.
In the suspension, ULS cited the reappointment of Benjamin Odoki as Chief Justice and also the appointment of serving army officer Gen Aronda Nyakairima as Internal Affairs minister.
But Nyombi contends that ULS does not possess the powers to suspend him. He notes that he is a member of ULS section 4 of the ULS Act.
In justification for his legal opinions to the president, Nyombi states that Government has since given its seal of approval in statement. He notes that he has been commended for executing his duties as expected.
Nyombi slams the law body, saying it did not state any reasons to back its allegations that his legal opinions were wrong.
By Andante Okanya,The New Vision