Unprecedented Legal Measures in the Wake of Corona Virus: The Ugandan Perspective

Abstract

The Corona Pandemic is one of the problems which continues to affect the globe as the death tolls and the numbers of infected people keep increasing. It is against this backdrop that States have evoked Public Health Law as a measure of protecting their citizens. In light of the above, this article examines International, Regional and Ugandan Public Health regimes in the fight against COVID-19. In order to control the spread of the Corona virus the government of Uganda introduced measures such as lockdowns restriction of movement, curfew and closing borders, bars, shopping malls and non-food markets. Enforcement of these measures and laws has been characterized by violence, brutality and excessive use of force from police and other security agencies. This has raised a lot of debate about the protection of human rights in the wake of the COVID 19. The article also examines the impact of such measures on human rights and seeks to assess their justification. The article underscores the fact that derogation from human rights during public health emergencies should be guided by the international and regional human rights regimes to which Uganda is a party. The article thus discusses the international and regional human rights instruments in relation to public health law and underscores the need to strike a balance in order to respect human rights. Key Words: Corona virus, COVID 19, derogation, epidemic, human rights, infectious diseases, international human rights instruments, limitations, pandemic, restrictions.