Penal Code Act

1 Legislation CommonsUgandaPenal Code ActChapter 120 Legislation as at 9 May 2014 FRBR URI: /akn/ug/act/ord/1950/12/eng@2014-05-09 There may have been updates since this file was created on 20 April 2022 at 14 last checked for updates: 30 September for updatesAbout this collectionThe legislation in this collection has been reproduced as it was originally printed in the Government Gazette, withimproved formatting and with minor typographical errors corrected. All amendments have been applied directly tothe text and annotated. A scan of the original gazette of each piece of legislation (including amendments) is availablefor reference. This is a free download from the Legislation Commons, a collection of African legislation that is digitisedby and made available for is no copyright on the legislative content of this PDF copy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY ). Share widely and Code ActContentsChapter I Preliminary .. 11. General rule of construction.

2 12. Interpretation .. 13. Saving of certain laws .. 3 Chapter II Territorial application of the Code .. 44. Extent of jurisdiction of courts .. 45. Offences committed partly within and partly beyond the jurisdiction .. 4 Chapter III General rules as to criminal responsibility .. 46. Ignorance of law .. 47. Claim of right .. 48. Intention and motive .. 59. Mistake of fact .. 510. Presumption of sanity .. 511. Insanity .. 512. Intoxication .. 513. Judicial officers .. 614. Compulsion .. 615. Defence of person or property and rash, reckless and negligent acts .. 616. Use of force in effecting arrest .. 617. Compulsion by husband .. 618. Person not to be punished twice for same offence .. 6 Chapter IV Parties to and persons inciting to commit offences .. 619. Principal offenders .. 720. Joint offenders in prosecution of common purpose .. 721. Incitement to commit an offence .. 7 Chapter V Punishment for misdemeanours .. 722. General punishment for misdemeanours.

3 823. Treason and offences against the State .. 824. Penalty for acts intended to alarm, annoy or ridicule the President .. 8 Chapter VI Treason and offences against the State .. 925. Concealment of treason .. 926. Terrorism .. 927. Promoting war on chiefs, etc.. 928. ** .. 10ii29. Aiding soldiers or policemen in acts of mutiny .. 1030. Inducing soldiers or policemen to desert .. 1031. Aiding prisoners of war to escape .. 1032. Definition of overt act .. 1033. Interpretation of import, publication, etc.. 1034. Power to prohibit importation of publications, etc.. 1135. Offences in relation to publications, the importation of which is prohibited .. 1136. Delivery of prohibited publications .. 1137. Publication of information prejudicial to security .. 1238. Power to examine packages .. 1239. Seditious intention .. 1340. Seditious offences .. 1341. Promoting sectarianism .. 1442. Power of courts to confiscate printing machines and prohibit publication.

4 1443. Legal proceedings .. 1544. Evidence .. 1545. Unlawful oaths .. 1546. Other unlawful oaths .. 1547. Limitations on compulsion as a defence to unlawful oath or engagement .. 1648. Unlawful drilling .. 1649. Wrongfully inducing a boycott .. 1650. Publication of false news .. 1751. Incitement to violence .. 1852. Incitement to refuse or delay payment of tax .. 18 Chapter VII Offences affecting relations with foreign States and external tranquillity .. 1853. Defamation of foreign princes .. 1854. Foreign enlistment .. 1855. Piracy .. 19 Chapter VIII Unlawful assemblies, riots and other offences against public tranquillity .. 1956. Unlawful society .. 1957. Managing unlawful society .. 2058. Offences in relation to an unlawful society .. 2059. Restrictions on office bearers .. 2060. Definition of office bearer .. 2061. Miscellaneous provisions relating to unlawful societies .. 21iii62. Powers in relation to unlawful societies .. 2163. Disposition of property of unlawful societies.

5 2264. Forfeiture of insignia, etc.. 2265. Definition of unlawful assembly and riot .. 2266. Punishment for unlawful assembly .. 2267. Punishment for riot .. 2368. Proclamation for rioters to disperse .. 2369. Dispersal of rioters .. 2370. Rioting after proclamation .. 2371. Preventing or obstructing the making of proclamation .. 2372. Rioters demolishing buildings, etc.. 2373. Rioters injuring buildings, machinery, etc.. 2374. Riotously preventing or hindering the loading, etc. of railway wagons, etc.. 2375. Going armed in certain places .. 2476. Going armed in public .. 2477. Forcible entry .. 2478. Forcible detainer .. 2479. Affray .. 2480. Challenge to fight a duel .. 2481. Threatening violence .. 2482. Watching and besetting .. 2583. Incitement to violence .. 2584. Assembling for the purpose of smuggling .. 25 Chapter IX Corruption and the abuse of office .. 2585. ** .. 2586. ** .. 2587. ** .. 2588. ** .. 2689. ** .. 2690. ** .. 2691.

6 ** .. 2692. ** .. 2693. ** .. 26 Chapter X Offences relating to the administration of justice .. 2694. Perjury and subornation of perjury .. 26iv95. Contradictory statements .. 2796. False statements by interpreters .. 2797. Punishment of perjury .. 2798. Evidence on charge of perjury .. 2799. Fabricating evidence .. 27100. False swearing .. 27101. Deceiving witnesses .. 27102. Destroying evidence .. 28103. Conspiracy to defeat justice and interference with witnesses .. 28104. Compounding felonies .. 28105. Compounding Penal actions .. 28106. Advertisements for stolen property .. 28107. Offences relating to judicial proceedings .. 28 Chapter XI Rescues, escapes and obstructing officers of court of law .. 29108. Rescue .. 29109. Escape .. 30110. Aiding prisoners to escape .. 30111. Removal, etc. of property under lawful seizure .. 30112. Obstructing court officers .. 30 Chapter XII Miscellaneous offences against public authority .. 30113.

7 Frauds and breaches of trust by person employed in the public service .. 30114. Neglect of duty .. 30115. False information .. 30116. Disobedience of statutory duty .. 31117. Disobedience of lawful orders .. 31 Chapter XIII Offences relating to religion .. 31118. Insult to religion .. 31119. Disturbing religious assemblies .. 31120. Trespassing on burial places .. 31121. Hindering burial of dead body, etc.. 31122. Writing or uttering words with intent to wound religious feelings .. 32 Chapter XIV Offences against morality .. 32123. Definition of rape .. 32124. Punishment for rape .. 32125. Attempt to commit rape .. 32v126. Abduction .. 32127. Elopement .. 32128. Indecent assaults, etc.. 33129. Defilement of persons under eighteen years of age .. 33129A. Child to child sex .. 34129B. Payment of compensation to victims of defilement .. 34130. Defilement of idiots or imbeciles .. 34131. Procuration .. 34132. Procuring defilement of women by threats, etc.

8 35133. Householder, etc. permitting defilement of girl under the age of eighteen .. 35134. Detention with sexual intent .. 35135. Power of search .. 36136. Person living on earnings of prostitution .. 36137. Brothels .. 36138. Definition of prostitute and prostitution .. 36139. Prohibition of prostitution .. 36140. Conspiracy to defile .. 37141. Attempts to procure abortion .. 37142. Procuring miscarriage .. 37143. Supplying drugs, etc. to procure abortion .. 37144. Knowledge of age of female immaterial .. 37145. Unnatural offences .. 37146. Attempt to commit unnatural offences .. 37147. Indecent assaults on boys under eighteen .. 37148. Indecent practices .. 38149. Incest .. 38150. Test of relationship .. 39151. Consent to prosecution .. 39 Chapter XV Offences relating to marriage and domestic obligations .. 39152. Fraudulent pretence of marriage .. 39153. Bigamy .. 39154. Adultery .. 40155. Fraudulent marriage ceremony .. 40156. Desertion of children.

9 40157. Neglecting to provide food, etc. for children .. 40vi158. Master not providing for servants or apprentices .. 40159. Child stealing .. 40 Chapter XVI Nuisances and offences against health and convenience .. 41160. Common nuisance .. 41161. Gaming houses .. 41162. Gaming machines .. 41163. Betting houses .. 41164. Keeper of premises defined .. 42165. Chain letters .. 42166. ** .. 42167. Idle and disorderly persons .. 42168. Rogues and vagabonds .. 43169. Offences in relation to uniforms .. 43170. Wearing of uniform declared to be for the exclusive use of persons performing services in the public 44171. Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease .. 44172. Adulteration of food or drink .. 44173. Sale of noxious food or drink .. 44174. Adulteration of drugs .. 44175. Sale of adulterated drugs .. 45176. Fouling water .. 45177. Fouling air .. 45178. Offensive trades .. 45 Chapter XVII Defamation .. 45179. Definition of libel .. 45180.

10 Definition of defamatory matter .. 45181. Definition of publication .. 45182. Definition of unlawful publication .. 46183. Absolute privilege of defamatory matter .. 46184. Conditional privilege of defamatory matter .. 46185. Good faith defined .. 47186. Presumption as to good faith .. 47 Chapter XVIII Murder and manslaughter .. 48187. Manslaughter .. 48188. Murder .. 48vii189. Punishment of murder .. 48190. Punishment of manslaughter .. 48191. Malice aforethought .. 48192. Killing on provocation .. 48193. Provocation defined .. 48194. Diminished responsibility .. 49195. Suicide pacts .. 49196. Causing death defined .. 50197. When child deemed a person .. 50198. Limitation as to time of death .. 50 Chapter XIX Duties relating to the preservation of life and health .. 50199. Responsibility of person who has charge of another .. 51200. Duty of head of family .. 51201. Duty of masters .. 51202. Duty of persons doing dangerous acts .. 51203. Duty of persons in charge of dangerous things.