698 to graduate at LDC

A total of 698 lawyers including top army officers and politicians will today receive their post graduate diplomas from the Law Development Centre, Kampala.

Among the those graduating include ; former minister Gen. Moses Ali, former ISO boss Brig. Henry Tumukunde, Democratic Party Legal Advisor Fred Mbidde and MPs Michael Mabikke (Makindye West ), Susan Nakawuki (Busiro East) and Samuel Odonga Otto (Aruu County).

LDC is the only institution in the country which admits law graduates to obtain diplomas in legal practice. A lawyer cannot practice as an advocate of the High Court in Uganda without the diploma.

According to LDC Director, Mr Elijah Wante, the ceremony to be held at the centre grounds will be presided over by the deputy Chief Justice, Laetitia Mukasa Kikonyogo.

“Everything is set for our 37th graduation and we expect all graduands to arrive at the graduation grounds at 8am,” he said yesterday.

New rules
The Centre is currently under the spotlight over the shrinking academic standards partly blamed on the ill-equipped library, poor quality of students admitted for the Bar Course and absenteeism of lecturers.

But starting this academic year (2010/11), all lawyers joining LDC are required to do pre-entry exams, a measure to weed out weak students.
Last academic year, only 91 out of the 464 students passed.