80%of Ugandans Cannot Afford Legal Justice – Chief Justice Reveals

Posted by: lukwago J in Uganda news October 22, 2020

About 80 percent of Ugandans cannot afford services of lawyers hence low access to justice, Chief Justice his lordship Alfonse Owinyi Dollo has revealed.

He attributes this to low number of judges in the country resulting into case backlog. He added that cases take up to two years before its executed.

Owinyi was officiating at the 4th legal aid innovations conference under the the theme: exploring new innovations to enhance access to legal justice amidst covid 19 pandemic in Kampala.

The conference attracted legal aid practitioners, civil society and innovators. They came to show case innovative and best practices in legal aid and access to justice.

Justice Godfrey Kirabwire justice of the courts of appeal challenged legal practitioners to embrace technology to offer justice to the public.

“Courts should rethink to digital systems to deliver access to legal justice. Embrace innovations to enhance access to justice amidst covid 19 pandemic, “Kirabwire said.

Appeal to parliament;

Legal Aid Service Providers Network(lapsnet) board chairperson Sandra Oryema appealed to parliament to pass legal aid Bill into law.

Barefoot law boss Gerald Abila urged the academia to embrace technology in their teaching programme. This can help to roll out graduates that can tackle post covid legal service challenges.

“legal service is no longer business as usual. You either innovate or die. With covid pandemic in our face we can not provide legal service as usual. Practicing lawyers need to devise means like use of technology to advance justice to the marginalized community. We also need to embrace technology in legal teaching to provide service beyond covid 19 pandemic,” Gerald Abila said.

This was at legal service providers meeting in Kampala held to devise means in providing access to justice to the next generation.

Legal aid innovators also showcased innovations and legal aid practices as necessary catalyst for improved legal aid service provision.

With covid out break unprecedented impact on the delivery of legal aid services, the justice sector saw closure of its institutions such as courts of law.

The lockdown has however put the justice sector into rethinking mode of how justice can continue to be delivered even amidst pandemics.

The new innovations include e-justice using teleconferencing application to handle cases.

According to Abila, the world is changing because over 1.5 billion need justice and legal service.

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