Summoned petitioner responds with more insults

A petitioner who was summoned by the Supreme court to explain his use of abusive language in a petition has shot back with even more insults calling the judges “drunk” and “a council of fools” lacking “common sense.”

Last week, a panel of seven Supreme court justices led by the chief justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo summoned Ivan Samuel Ssebadduka to appear before them, and explain why he shouldn’t be found guilty for contempt of court after he allegedly abused them in his application.

In the petition, Ssebadduka wanted the Supreme court to block the virtual presidential candidate campaigns and suspend the requirement for presidential aspirants to collect signatures for their nominations.

According to the justices, Ssebadduka used abusive language in his petition when he described them as a “council of fools.”

He also described Electoral Commission and its chairperson, Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, ministry of Health and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as ignorant and unintelligible on the basics of COVID-19.

The justices dismissed the petition on grounds that it lacked merit and the abusive language used by the applicant who insulted everyone involved in the petition with the exception of himself.

The justices directed Ssebadduka to appear in the Supreme court Wednesday to explain why they shouldn’t find him guilty for contempt of court.

But in his written response to the summons, Ssebadduka describes the justices as incompetent, saying the accusations of contempt of court are baseless because the justices can’t challenge him legally.

“We didn’t offend you or you’re so-called Supreme court because it is not a court in the first place. It is a council of fools…” reads in part Ssebadduka’s response filed in the court registry on November 7, 2020.

Ssebadduka wonders whether the justices were drunk to fix his petition for hearing or under influence of drugs not to know that they didn’t have jurisdiction to hear his petition.

He says there is no way the Supreme court justices should expect the public to trust them with honour when they dishonour themselves.

“It is very unfortunate that we entrust you with the judiciary because you don’t deserve to be judges. A judge must have judgment but it is very unfortunate that you don’t have common sense, which is common,” reads his response in part.

Ssebadduka said that the justices should not think that he doesn’t know what they do in the dark, and should they dare plan evil against him, he will expose them.

“I have already published everything in a bulletin, and am going to print over 20 million copies and give out for free worldwide to expose their ignorance. That is my ultimate intent. How could they not know that they have no jurisdiction? How couldn’t they know? The court must know that it has jurisdiction or it has no jurisdiction, it doesn’t have to learn from the court. They fixed the hearing dates 28th, 29th and then they come back and say we have no jurisdiction to listen. How do you say that you’re barren and then you give birth? It is very unfortunate that the justices are ignorant of the law and fact,” said Ssebadduka. 

Supreme court registrar, Harriet Ssali Nalukwago told the court that they couldn’t proceed because the chief justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo was away attending the funeral of his uncle while justice Percy Night Tuhaise had also lost a relative.

Ssali asked Ssebadduka to return to court on November 18, 2020, to defend himself.