Ugandan Christian Lawyers Fraternity
The UCLF is part of the CLEAR international network and runs a successful student work, legal education community outreach and legal aid for both clients and prisoners. As a registered non-governmental organisation (NGO), the UCLF seeks to mobilise Christian lawyers to serve the indigent community of Uganda by ensuring that God’s character of justice and mercy is communicated in both words and action.
Student work
UCLF was born out of a student fellowship and some of the original members (now senior lawyers) are on the board. As for today, UCLF helps to assist and train student leaders who run fellowships at Makerere University Kampala, the Uganda Christian University in Mukono, the Kampala International University and the Law Development Centre also in Kampala
However, investing in students also lays a foundation for the future. If integrity in a hopelessly corrupt environment can be inculcated at an early stage then UCLF believes that these students can behave in a radically different way from those around them, pulling up standards of honesty, output and client care across the legal profession. The UCLF believes that it is moulding a strong generation of Christian lawyers who will transform access to justice for the marginalised in Uganda in years to come.
Legal education
Prevention is better than cure; likewise with legal disputes. For that reason a rights awareness program aimed at ordering social relations in line with the common law of Uganda is under way. Uganda faces a crisis of ordering relationships. Domestic relations, worker/employer relations, land holding, succession, government/citizen relations and business relationships are all up for grabs. At present most disputes are settled at the grassroots level using the Local Chairman system and the Local council courts. These dispute resolution systems owe little to due process or the upholding of rights and are often exploited by the office bearers for nepotistic or financial gain.
UCLF has recently finished a very successful community rights awareness program with Danida (the Danish International Development agency). The challenge that lies ahead is to look at the problems of a community, establish the root causes and then design a ‘justice program’ that tackles the multiple causes of the injustice.
Alongside both community awareness and paralegal training, UCLF has produced a range of materials for assisting community rights awareness and for making wills, drawing contracts, preventing disputes as well as pathways in mediation so that pastors and local leaders can resolve disputes whilst at the same time protecting rights.
Legal aid
CLEAR international has a core commitment to legal aid for the poorest of the poor. Speaking up and defending the cause of those who cannot speak for themselves is not restricted to certain arenas of law, to prosecution or defence or to the winnable cases, nor does UCLF discriminate on the basis of gender, tribe or religion, rather, poverty, disenfranchisement, vulnerability and marginalisation are the case qualifications that UCLF looks for when a client approaches us.
Prison congestion is a serious affront to human rights in Uganda. There is no automatic right to a lawyer in court, case processing is very slow, remand periods are exceeded, charge sheets and medical frequently get lost in the system and many cases patently lack the evidence to prosecute them making a mockery of a 5 year wait between committal and a trial that can only end in an acquittal.
Public policy
UCLF has also acted as legal counsel to a number of networks seeking to represent Christian values in the law. UCLF advises VOCAG on adoption reform, Uganda Network on Ethics and Integrity on the legalisation of prostitution and the Uganda Joint Christian Council on the Domestic Relations Bill. It has partnered with Acid Survivor Foundation of Uganda on representations to government over restrictions on the sale of acid (acid is often used to attack and disfigure victims) and has spoken to the Ministry of Local Government on land emancipation issues in inner city areas of Kampala.
A wider perspective
UCLF seeks to play a role within the mainstream human and economic development programme of Uganda. For example, project outlines are tested against the national Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). UCLF seeks the implementation of a government run, national system of legal aid expressed in the constitution of Uganda as the right of every citizen to gain access to justice. UCLF is a non political civil society organisation which recognises that where a democratic deficit exists it should speak on behalf of communities. The UCLF is committed to good governance under the rule of law as a civil society reflection of popular wishes and as a necessary precursor to human and economic development.
Fellowship
Fellowship remains a key component of UCLF activities. Aside form informal gatherings, student fellowships, fun on legal education safaris and Resource Centre ‘drop in’ fellowship, UCLF hosts a fellowship on the first Thursday of every month and also hosts an annual conference in either March or April. Fellowships vary from covering a ‘hot potato’ issue such as the death penalty, or looking at practice related competencies such as ADR, through to lifestyle issues like integrity and client care. Apart from these issues, different speakers are occasionally invited, testimonies are shared, Bible studies are conducted and time is always set aside for prayer.
The Board:
Edward Sekabanja- President
Titus Kamya- Secretary
Jennifer Barya- Treasurer
Martin Erone
Aissata Sylla
Amboko Wameya - Student representative
The staff:
Annet Ttendo- Project director
Dorothie Chihandae- Staff advocate
Caroline Sanderson- Legal aid co-ordinator
Steven Senkeezi Ssali- Legal education co-ordinator
Peter Mangeni- Student co-ordinator
Steve Sanderson- Legal education facilitator
Partners:
Lawyers Christian Fellowship UK
BMS World Mission
Advocates International
Compassion International
Redeemed
Acid Survivors Foundation Uganda
Baptist Union of Uganda
National Fellowship of Pentecostal and Born Again Churches
Danida- LABF (Legal aid basket fund)
Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
Uganda Prison Service
Uganda Coalition of National Values, Ethics and Integrity
