On 17 March 2026, Uganda’s Constitutional Court nullified the entire Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, along with key provisions of the Computer Misuse Act, 2023 Edition, specifically Sections 11 (unauthorized access to data and recording), 23 (sharing information about children without consent), 26 (content that ridicules, degrades, or demeans), 27, 28, and 29 (malicious information and misuse of social media), plus criminal libel under Section 162 of the Penal Code, ruling that Parliament passed the amendments without the required quorum, in violation of Articles 88 and 89 of the Constitution.
The case was brought in 2022 by a coalition of civil society organizations, including the Uganda Law Society and Unwanted Witness. The judgment removes repressive tools long used to curtail online expression, journalism, and activism. The judgement strengthens constitutional protections for freedom of expression and access to information under Articles 29 and 43, and significantly improves the enabling environment for civil society by reopening digital civic space for advocacy and public discourse without fear of arbitrary prosecution. With the ruling effective, all arrests, prosecutions, and enforcement of these repressive digital laws are halted, as directed by the Attorney General, leading to the withdrawal of pending cases and reducing arbitrary targeting of journalists, activists, human rights defenders, opposition voices, and ordinary online users.
The Constitutional Court ruling nullifying the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, is part of a limited but recurring pattern of judicial pushback against overly broad or procedurally flawed laws in Uganda. However, these rulings occur against a dominant backdrop of escalating civic restrictions, including NGO suspensions, internet shutdowns ahead of the 2026 elections, and new laws like the sovereignty bill expanding state control, showing that while courts occasionally safeguard rights, the broader enabling environment for civil society remains heavily constrained.”