In May 2017, HiiL launched their latest Justice Data Report on Family Justice in Uganda. This was done at a workshop hosted by the Swedish Embassy in Kampala. The launch was accompanied by the attendance of representatives from the key actors from the justice system who are concerned with family justice, including the JLOS secretariat, the National Police, the Judiciary, DGF, LASPNET, IDLO and the Law Reform Commission.

The full report is now freely available and can be downloaded in English HERE: Family Justice in Uganda

This latest HiiL report follows the outcomes of nation-wide justice needs and satisfaction survey that HiiL conducted in Uganda in 2016. That report showed that justice problems relating to the family rank constitute the most prevalent justice problem for Ugandans. More than 1 million serious family justice problems occur in Uganda every year: most of them are domestic violence and separation related. As in other countries, this survey shows high impact of family problems on people’s lives. Impact on women is more severe than impact on men.

The Family Justice report contains a deeper understanding of the family-related problems that Ugandans face. This includes the processes people follow to solve these problems and the outcomes that they obtain when attempting to get a solution. It sets out the foundation for an agenda for innovation that builds on the needs of users of family justice processes.

Instead of proposing new legislation or financing additional services, the report outlines terms of reference and user stories: what should the family justice process achieve for women, men, girls and boys? What do justice providers from the informal or formal sector need, in order to help solve family problems more effectively?

The launching workshop concluded that the results of this study should become building blocks for an action plan to improve the treatment of family disputes in Uganda and first steps were taken to make this concrete.

By Nathalie Djikman, HiiL Justice Sector Advisor. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / Published: June 19 2017

By Nathalie Dijkman

For the second time HiiL has held an Innovating Justice Boostcamp in Kampala, which took place on 7 and 8 September this year. The Boostcamp was part of the selection process for the winners of the Innovating Justice Challenge 2017, a global challenge that seeks to find innovative solutions preventing or resolving the most pressing justice needs of people around the world. 

This year, from over 60 applications that came in from Uganda, 10 were shortlisted by HiiL to take part in the Boostcamp, and 5 of those ended up pitching in front of a jury to stand to win the Challenge. The shortlisted innovations are tackling a variety of justice needs, including gender-based violence, land disputes, forced migration and employment issues. 

During the first day of the Boostcamp, the group of innovators took off on a bus early morning to Entebbe to spend a full training day in retreat-setting guided by a group of expert mentors. The programme included learning about Lean Start-up methodology, filling out a Social Business Canvas, designing their first experiments on a Javelin Board and practicing their 4-minute pitch. In the afternoon the teams, recognized by bright ‘Justler’ t-shirts, went off into a small town off Entebbe Road to conduct interviews with local citizens, testing their main assumptions. As one of the innovators said: “We learned a lot from listening to people who are meant to use our service. (…) From all the people we talked to, everyone has had a problem with land. They didn’t know where to go and the question then is whether our service can make a real difference.” 

The next day, on 8 September, the wider public and key stakeholders were invited to the Boostcamp to meet the innovators and exchange ideas on justice innovation. This event was held at Africana Hotel during the Legal Aid Innovations Conference, which was co-organized by BarefootLaw, LASPNET, DGF and HiiL. The morning of the event held speeches by a.o. Chief Justice Katureebe, the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Chair of the Judiciary ICT Committee Justice Kiryabwire. Up to 300 people came to this inaugural conference to learn about the most innovative justice solutions currently available in Uganda and how to improve justice through technology and citizen-centred solutions. HiiL’s Justice Needs in Uganda report, which was launched in April 2016, was mentioned by all stakeholders as a cornerstone of the evidence currently available on the most pressing justice needs in Uganda. 

The five innovations selected by HiiL which were pitching in front of the jury in the afternoon included: E-Migrate (an easy and safe travel agency for migrants and refugees), Evidence and Methods Lab (smart infographics of complex justice problems to promote accountability), Muslim Centre for Justice e-Law App (a legal sms service for Muslim minorities and users of the Qhuadi court), Land Title Search App (a smartphone land title verification tool) and Weetase (a voice-based mobile app to monitor victims of (forced) migration and trafficking). 

The 5-headed Jury, chaired by Lucy Ladira, the lead Advisor on Criminal Justice at the JLOS Secretariat, concluded during the public Jury Debrief that they were impressed by the pitches and solutions of all teams, although there was definitely a need for them to research their problem further. The Evidence and Methods Lab was announced as winner by HiiL’s alumni (Lawyers4Farmers and Justice2People), and special mentions went out to Weetase and the Muslim Centre for Justice (strongest impact) as well as the Land Title App (best presentation). 

This month HiiL is holding similar Boostcamps in Accra (Ghana), Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), The Hague (Netherlands) and Kyiv (Ukraine). At each event, innovators are trained and winners are selected by a local jury. All winners of the Boostcamps win 5000 EUR in seed funding and are invited to take part in HiiL’s Accelerator programme. In total, 12 teams are also invited to come to The Hague in December to take part in the Justice Entrepreneurship School and present their innovations in the Peace Palace. 

Nathalie Dijkman is the Justice Sector Advisor (East Africa Program Coordinator) at HiiL

Published: September 19, 2017

The Judiciary has developed a robust Information and Communications Technology (ICT) strategy. It is expected that within the next three years, an e-justice will have been operationalized. Chief Justice Bart Katureebe revealed this on Friday while inaugurating the Legal Aid innovations conference at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

Katureebe said it was imperative that the Government facilitates the development of a legal aid policy and law, adopts a-state-funded legal aid scheme and strengthens community-led initiatives, such as local council courts and a paralegal advisory system that would fill the existing gaps in legal aid service provision.

He, however, regretted that the system was still struggling to eliminate case backlog, which he said was one of the greatest systemic barriers against access to justice.

“The sector is also still grappling with the fact that most Justice Law and Orders Sector (JLOS) institutions remain largely urban-based and unavailable in 18% of the district, while 41% of the institutions operate from premises not fit for the purpose.

The justice system is further faced with many other constraints in service delivery that include lack of modern ICT equipment and reliance on manual processes, low budgetary support to sector institutions, limited legal reference materials, poor remuneration and conditions of service for judicial officers and other staff within the institutions and limited knowledge of the law and human rights by the majority population, among others,” Katureebe further lamented.

He said a report by The Hague Institute for Innovation and the Law (HIIL) on Justice Needs 2016 also revealed that 88% of Ugandans experienced difficulty in accessing justice in the past four years, with land and family cases being rated as the top two most critical disputes.

Katureebe noted that only 18% of the Ugandan population receives legal aid services annually, which leaves the majority, especially the poor and most vulnerable, unable to access justice.      

Katureebe said that such a situation leads to frustration sometimes, culminating into criminality manifesting in acts such as suicide and use of extra judicial means like mob justice, which creates insecurity to the population.

He noted that there is an acute shortage of legal practitioners in rural areas and that the legal aid service providers currently available provide project-led interventions, which are not sustainable. 

“Our focus should be on what work for the ordinary persons who form the majority of our population. Once we develop a simple, user-friendly and cost effective justice system, the majority will be satisfied and the rates of satisfaction will hit through the roof, which will have unprecedented impact on the public confidence in the administration of justice in this country,” Katureebe stressed.

Source: New Vision / Published: September 11, 2017

About 55km northwest of Kampala CBD lies Kitalya – a quiet village located in Busunju County Wakiso district. Amid Kitalya’s cascading plains and sprawling green is a towering 5-acre prison facility under construction and this is a prison project like no other. 

Welcome to Kitalya Mini-Max Prison.

Today a team from the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) led by Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, the Prisons Service Commissioner General visited the construction site to get first hand experience of the progress made so far. Accompanied by a delegation from the JLOS Secretariat, the JLOS Construction committee, ICRC, members of Parliament and a number of officials from Uganda Prisons, Dr. Byabashaija was given a guided tour of this imposing facility by the lead consultant, Arch. Enock Kibbamu from Plantek Limited.

Described by the Commissioner General as “Uganda’s first ever real post-colonial prison”, Kitalya Mini-Max easily fits this glowing description and the facts don’t lie. 

Here is a sneak peek:

Big sized prison wards and 30 cells (all fitted with modern sanitary facilities) that can accommodate up to 4,000 inmates; a fully fledged medical wing complete with an inpatient section and isolation rooms for contagious diseases; about 70 CCTV camera points and a control room (24 hour surveillance on site and offsite); modern kitchen equipped with power saving technology; classroom blocks equipped with a computer lab and library; a large workshop block specifically designed and built for prison industry activities; full-fledged sport facilities (a football pitch, volley ball court, basket ball court and lawn tennis court); a multipurpose hall; multiple watch towers; and a modern administration block.

All this (and much more) at only 18.3 bn Ushs, which is by all measures a modest, and conservative figure given the sheer volume of work and quality of workmanship on display today.

According to Hon. Doreen Ruth Amule, the Chairperson of Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee who was part of the visiting delegation, Kitalya Mini-Max success story is one of the reasons Uganda Prisons is easily among the most highly respected institutions in Uganda. She thanked Dr. Byabashaija for his exemplary leadership and integrity without which a project of this magnitude wouldn’t have been possible.

Uganda Prisons globally ranks high thanks to its award winning rehabilitation program. At Kitalya, the prison industry workshops and educational facilities being constructed within the prison underscore UPS’ goal to rehabilitate prisoners and make them better citizens.  Like one construction project official put it to me today, “Kitalya is simply a correctional facility and not just a prison. The design features speak for themselves”.

Started in June 2016, construction is set to be completed by June 2019 but it could even be much earlier (around February 2019) thanks to the tireless efforts of the contractor (Ambitious Construction Co. Ltd), the consultant (Plantek Limited) and the Prisons project management team. 

Big tasks still remain though: to equip this prison facility and operationalize it once construction works are completed. This requires funding to procure furniture and fixtures as well as facilities for staff to manage and run the prison. 

However from today’s visit, one thing is crystal clear: Kitalya Mini-Max prison project with support from the Justice, Law and Order Sector is no doubt on course to make history and become a game changer in the war on prison congestion and the quest to take prisoner rehabilitation to a whole new level.

By Edgar Kuhimbisa / Published: 12 Nov 2018

The Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) has been at the forefront of reforming Uganda’s justice system since its inception in 1999. Nineteen years on, the achievements, milestones and success stories are visible, challenges notwithstanding. From reforms in commercial justice to the good legislative and policy environment, unprecedented infrastructure development (construction of numerous justice centres across the country) to award-winning innovations and initiatives (small claims procedures, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, sentencing guidelines, plea bargaining, etc,) – the sector is on course in its bid to create a pro-people justice system in Uganda.

It is, however, important to further examine how “pro-people” the workings of the sector are. Pro-people in this context is that JLOS has over the years strived to champion the cause of the vulnerable, the poor and generally those who are disadvantaged in different ways – financially, socially and even physically.

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NOTE: This article was originally published in the Daily Monitor on 17th January 2019.

By Edgar Kuhimbisa / Published: January 17, 2019 

By Timothy Lumunye

In line with the standard public health guidelines, Uganda had to institute a partial lockdown of the country when it was confirmed that there was an outbreak of COVID-19 within the country. When the lockdown was instituted only “essential” services were allowed to operate, those deemed basic and yet indispensable without which the nation would collapse.

Indeed the COVID-19 pandemic means we are wading in uncharted waters. But with no vaccine in the near future and with the number of patients increasing by the day, there is no way of predicting how long the lockdown will be in force, or how long it will take for judicial work to return to “normal”. This article therefore examines existing interventions in the administration of justice, challenges and how the pandemic presents an opportunity for access to justice through LC Courts.

Current efforts by the Judiciary

The Judiciary was listed as an essential service but would only hear remands, urgent mentions, bail and other very pressing interlocutory applications. Court registries were directed to stay open but only for the purposes of filing new suits. Even then extreme social distancing was to be practiced by all participants to the court process. To mitigate this, the Chief Justice issued the “Guidelines for on-line hearings in the Judiciary of Uganda”. The Guidelines indicate that online hearings may be used for inter alia, delivering of judgments and rulings, plus the hearing of bail applications, mentions and interlocutory applications. Attendance/participation is by invitation through a Judiciary provided link. The hearing of these matters is not exclusively limited to the online option though and in some cases, advocates and parties appear in person before the judicial officer.

These efforts are building upon a foundation set by other recent Judiciary interventions.  For example the installation of a Video Conferencing Facility between Buganda Road Court and Luzira Maximum Prison (Male and female Wing), Kigo Government prison and Kitalya Government prison.  Initially it aimed at handling cases at mention stages especially in very sensitive cases that require a high level of security where transporting the accused persons to Court may cause security threats to the entire public or unnecessary cost.  

 READ MORE (Download pdf)

Editor's Note: The writer is a Magistrate Grade 1, Courts of Judicature. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.

Published: May 18 , 2020

KITALYA - Construction of the largest prisoner correctional facility in Uganda has been completed. The facility sitting at 5-acres of land situated about 55 kilometres northwest of Kampala, in Wakiso District is now ready to receive inmates, according to Dr Johnson Byabashaija, the Commissioner-General of Prisons. 

Named Kitalya Mini-Max Prison, the Shs25 billion state of the art facility was funded by the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) and constructed by Ambitious Construction Company Limited. 

It was built with large sized prison wards and 30 cells all fitted with modern sanitary facilities. It has a fully-fledged medical wing with an inpatient section, a contact visitors’ room and isolation rooms for contagious diseases, plus a kitchen equipped with power-saving technology.

The facility also has classroom blocks equipped with a computer lab and library, a large workshop block specifically designed and built for prison industry activities, fully-fledged sports facilities including a football pitch, a volleyball court, a basketball court and lawn tennis court in addition to a multipurpose hall. 

Its completion is expected to decongest Luzira upper prison, which is chocking with more than 3,000 inmates, five times above its holding capacity of 600 inmates. Dr Byabashaija observed that Kitalya Mini-Max prison is a game-changer in the war against prison congestion. 

It was built with large sized prison wards and 30 cells all fitted with modern sanitary facilities. It has a fully-fledged medical wing with an inpatient section, a contact visitors’ room and isolation rooms for contagious diseases, plus a kitchen equipped with power-saving technology.

READ MORE

Published: Feb. 24 2020

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FOREWORD BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE

For 15 years, the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) has spearheaded the promotion of the rule of law and access to justice for all Ugandans. JLOS has become synonymous with cutting-edge reforms and innovations in the justice system, these which can be traced back to the highly acclaimed Chain Linked Initiative first launched in 1999. In doing so, the Sector has driven improvements in infrastructure, human development, and institutional capacity as well as introduced new ways of delivering justice and ensuring law and order

From promoting Community Policing, a joint effort approach that allows the Uganda Police and the communities within which they serve to work together to maintain law and order, to prioritizing children’s cases in courts in an effort for improved juvenile justice, to improving the environment for doing business through commercial justice reforms, the Sector has undoubtedly impacted the lives of many Ugandans. JLOS is committed to concretizing these efforts especially to serve the poorest and most vulnerable among the Ugandan population.

It is my pleasure therefore to introduce this publication that highlights some JLOS innovations and interventions that tell of the Sector’s impact over the years. These stories highlight our demonstrated pledge to ensure justice for all and JLOS’s contribution to building a renewed trust in the institutions mandated with delivering justice in Uganda. Further to that, they provide an insight into the ideal future that we envisage for the Sector and for the Ugandan society as far as justice, law and order are concerned.

While the stories highlighted reflect how far the Sector has come, we are cognizant of the challenge for continuous improvement and accept it with a renewed zeal. JLOS, therefore, remains dedicated to the creation of a society that protects and promotes fundamental rights, one that ensures the respect of law as well as one that works to build the necessary structures to nurture a vibrant and growing economy for Uganda. As we work more closely with our partners in Government, civil society, the international community, and with Ugandans from all walks of life, we look forward to greater achievements in the years to come.

Bart M. Katureebe

Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda

October 10, 2015 

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Produced by LPLC Consult Uganda, Ltd. for JLOS - the Justice Law and Order Sector in Uganda 

Financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) © 2015 - The Justice, Law and Order Sector (Government of the Republic of Uganda). All Rights Reserved.

Lead Writer and Editor:

 Annet Mbabazi Ntezi

JLOS Editorial Team:

Rachel Odoi-Musoke

Sam Rogers Wairagala

Edgar Kuhimbisa

Design and Layout:

Gerald Ssali (87 Eight Seven)

This is set to be a groundbreaking event that brings together Justices and Judges, legal professionals, policymakers, academics, and Alternative Dispute Resolution practitioners across the country aimed at revolutionizing effective and efficient conflict resolution.

The summit is a platform for fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). At this historic summit, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in lively discussions, share insights, and exchange best practices in ADR. Renown keynote speakers, distinguished experts, and visionaries in the field will present cutting-edge research, success stories, and emerging trends in the world of dispute resolution.

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