SECTOR 1 1.6 Confidential sources of information are protected by law and/or the courts. Article 27 of the Constitution protects the right to privacy, with part 27(2) noting that, “No person shall be subjected to interference with the privacy of that person’s home, correspondence, communication or other property.” Article 38 of the Press and Journalist Act which deals with the protection of sources of information states that: “A journalist shall not be compelled to disclose the source of his or her information except with the consent of the person who gave him or her the information or on an order of a court of law.” While the above pieces of legislation are in place to protect confidential sources of information, a journalist on the panel stated that in two cases where he/she had been the subject of criminal defamation, he/she had been asked to disclose their sources of information, “I refused to reveal my sources, based on professional ethics.” “There has not been a (court) case where the authorities have gotten information sources legally. They try to get it illegally, but then don’t come to court because they know that this would be illegal, and that sources are protected by the law.” “So the court hasn’t forced disclosure, but the police have tried.” “The state security operatives try to compel you against your will to reveal sources. For example, there was a time when the Daily Monitor was closed and the journalist targeted was asked to reveal their relations with their informants in the state authorities, to provide communications, etc.” Panellists noted that authorities might also tap phones, use spyware to invade people’s privacy, or even resort to unlawful acts such as breaking into journalists’ homes or cars to get the information they seek. “They are perfectly capable of overcoming any hurdles to get the information that they want.” “Journalists sometimes reveal their sources out of fear, and because they don’t know that they are protected by the law. They disregard their ethical duty because they don’t know.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016 21