Uganda’s tabloid paper, The Red Pepper has once again been dragged to court for publishing information that could possibly reveal identity of a former Makerere University student who has sued the institution anonymously.
A former student last month through her lawyers; Isaac Ssemakkadde of Centre for Legal Aid and Sheila Namahe of Maxim Advocates filed an application in the High Court Civil Division seeking permission to sue the University for Failure to protect her from sexual harassment, during her time of study at the Ivory Tower.
The anonymous lady contends that Makerere failed to protect her from sexual harassment and alleviate its impact during her studentship at the university between 2012 and 2017.
She further claims that the university failed to investigate, discipline or prosecute the perpetrators of sexual harassment. She further claims that Makerere management failed to implement comprehensive reparations for her and violated her rights to health, dignity, education, equality and non-discrimination.
Now, in the course of the application hearing, Centre for Legal Aid says The Red Pepper published information likely to reveal the identity of the girl.
Lawyers of Centre for Legal Aid are now seeking a court declaration that "the respondents (Red Pepper) disclosure, in its issue of February 16 and 17, 2018, of information likely to contribute to identification of their client, a victim of sexual harassment, infringed or threatened to infringe her rights protected by Article 21, 24 and 27 of the Constitution.
According to the lawyers, The Red Pepper of February 16, 2018 and Saturday Pepper of February 17, 2018 had first name of the girl.
They are seeking a permanent injunction stopping The Red Pepper, its journalists and editors or any other person from making a publication likely to identify the girl. The publication is still involved in a court battle with the state, for publishing a story damaging the reputation of the person of the president of Uganda.
The lawyers are want an order directing the publication to compensate the girl for the injury caused and an order directing the company to pay suit costs.
