Courts adjourn to offer free legal services
What you need to know:
- In a statement released by the Chief Registrar, Ms Sarah Langa Siu, Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera has to that effect, allowed the adjournment of all cases today to allow lawyers participate in the 14th annual pro-bono day
All courts throughout the country will adjourn cases today to enable lawyers offer free legal advice to the poor and vulnerable Ugandans who can’t hire services of private lawyers.
In a statement released by the Chief Registrar, Ms Sarah Langa Siu, Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera has to that effect, allowed the adjournment of all cases today to allow lawyers participate in the 14th annual pro-bono day.
“The Uganda Law Society will be participating in the 14th annual regional pro-bono day on September 1, 2023. The Chief Justice has granted permission for courts across the country to officially adjourn all matters only where advocates are involved, in order for the advocates to participate in the event,” the statement from the Judiciary dated August 30, reads in part.
Equal access to justice
In a statement, Mr Moses Okwalinga, the chief executive officer of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), said this day will see more than 3,000 lawyers offer free legal services to the vulnerable in all their regional offices of Jinja, Soroti, Gulu, Arua, Masindi, Fort Portal, Kabale and Mbarara.
“In a bid to renew our commitment to equal access to justice for all, the Uganda Law Society in partnership with the Netherlands Embassy, is organising the 14th annual regional pro-bono day…on September 1 at the Railway gardens,” the ULS media statement stated, adding: “This day is simultaneously commemorated regionally by all ULS legal aid offices… and brings together more than 3,000 lawyers and partners in the Justice, Law and Order Sector to extend free legal services to the public.”
Focus
The lawyers this year, will majorly focus on helping the indigenous people such as women, children, refugees and persons with disability on how to effectively write a Will.
This year’s pro-bono day is themed: “Understanding succession processes as a means to protect property and rights and end family.”
Uganda does not have a national legal aid policy in place that benefits indigenous citizens who cannot hire the expensive services of private lawyers.
But Parliament is in the process of enacting the National Legal Aid Bill, 2022.
In order to roll out the legal aid law, government needs at least Shs47.6b annually.
The core objective of the law is to regulate the provision of legal aid services by legal aid service providers in Uganda, make provision for the grant of legal aid services to indigent, marginalised and vulnerable citizens in a bid to access justice.
