Bobi Wine lawyers fail to produce valid practicing certificates; petition withdrawal now hangs in balance

National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s presidential election petition withdrawal from the Supreme Court will now depend on if his lawyers will renew their practicing certificates by 5pm today.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo has directed court registrar to give Medard Lubega Sseggona and other Bobi Wine legal team members temporary certificates to last a fortnight.

“We give you up to 5pm today to obtain practicing certificates. I am making it easy for you in case you have not yet done the other things which are required,” Owiny Dollo said.

“I am directing the chief registrar to give you temporary practicing certificates that will expire on March 18, 2021 for purposes of prosecuting this petition.”

Owiny Dollo will now preside over the petition withdrawal hearing on March 05.

Bobi Wine’s legal team had frankly told Owiny Dollo on Monday that they felt it would be professional to let him know they had no certificates.

“We applied to the Law Council to renew our practicing certificates and they are being processed. Unfortunately, the grace period elapsed in February,” Sseggona told court.

“We thought it is professional enough to raise it,” Sseggona told court. It is not in our practice to operate outside the law but this is a matter that requires being expedited.”