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{
    "id": 943079,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/943079/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 229,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let me say from the outset that when this matter came up before the Senate, I gave my views on the issue of the court order. When there is a court order - because of the functionality of State institutions and the need for harmony between State organs - there should be room to show respectability between institutions of Government. That is quite different from whether or not, there should be an impeachment process. I still believe that since judicial authority rests with the courts, just like legislative authority rests with Parliament; therefore, whenever courts render decisions, it is still my belief that those court orders should be obeyed. That is why we say nobody is above the law. Whenever a question arises as to what is the true determination and statement of the law, the courts have the final word. That is not to say that an impeachment process should never take place. I said at the beginning when we were dealing with the first impeachment process, that it was deliberate that the makers of this Constitution gave the powers for impeachment court to the Senate as against any other organs of state, the National Assembly included. Quite easily, the question of impeachment could be a judicial process and yet the framers of the Constitution decided that that process should come to the Senate. Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to reach an understanding because, in the practice of law, a lot of conventions are established. For example, when one arm of Government is engaged in a process or has the duty to deal with a particular matter, other arms of Government should stand down. What has happened now is, probably, a lesson to the Judiciary, that when a matter lies with the Senate or with Parliament, they should defer to the processes taking place in Parliament before making orders, until that is exhausted. If you have a matter that is before an inferior court and you went to the High Court, they would normally tell you to exhaust the process that is going on before you The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}