http://youtu.be/-jDpJm1TgFs
A court in Uganda struck down the country’s anti-homosexuality law, Friday amid cheers from a packed courtroom in the capital Kampala.
According to a report in the New York Times, a panel of five judges announced that the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which punishes some homosexual behavior with life in prison, was invalid because it had been passed by Parliament without a proper quorum.
“We’re very happy,” said Sylvia Tamale, a Ugandan law professor who has supported gay rights despite persistent threats and harassment. “But it’s unfortunate that the court did not deal with the substantive issues that violate our rights.”
It was not clear if the Ugandan government was going to appeal the court’s ruling.
The bill, passed by MPs in December, had been fiercely criticized by human rights groups and prompted some Western countries to cut aid.
Watch BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding report from the courtroom in the above video.
