Programs

HUMAN RIGHTS

This program is a branch of the Paralegal Advisory Services project (PAS), which aims to enhance access to justice for poor people in Uganda who are in conflict with the law. The project seeks to improve the understanding of principles and procedures of the formal criminal justice system by both users and criminal justice agencies in Uganda. The PAS project also aims to enhance the role of civil society in the provision of legal aid and to hold the formal justice system accountable through a coordinated approach towards provision of legal aid services in Uganda.

The project is an innovative response to deal with the increasing challenges of congestion and delays in police cells, prisons and remand homes with accused persons/prisoners held in detention beyond the statutory permitted periods. The PAS project was initiated in Malawi where it has been tried and tested and evaluated for possible replication in other countries. It is being adapted in Uganda taking into account unique features in the justice system and on feedback from stakeholders.

In this regard, the PAS project is being implemented alongside other initiatives in the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS), such as Community Service and the Chain Linked initiatives, which are aimed at improving access to justice and decongesting the police cells, prisons and remand homes. It is piloted in police stations, central and local government prisons, and remand homes in four magisterial areas of Kampala, Fort Portal, Gulu and Mbale. A unique coordinated approach will be taken in which social workers under prison management and paralegals under CSOs will be effectively utilized to facilitate processes, e.g. bail applications, seeking sureties and witnesses, tracking cases in the system and enhancing legal awareness so as to ensure speed and fairness in addressing the rights of prisoners on remand.

The project recognizes that most of the people in conflict with the law on remand are below the poverty line, are ignorant of their legal rights and have limited contact with the outside world to expedite the process of access to justice among others. The project also acknowledges the bottlenecks in the formal justice system that contribute to delays in dispensing with cases and hence long remand periods and overcrowding in prisons and remand homes.

PAS is funded by the Legal Aid Basket Fund (LABF) which was set up by donors supporting legal aid in agreement with the Justice Law and Order Sector. Key activities will include provision of legal advice and assistance aimed at enabling prisoners to effectively understand and apply the law and activities aimed at facilitating key criminal justice processes, e.g. applications for bail and appeals, linking the remands/accused to their sureties and families and coordination with justice sector institutions.

Based on the review of successes and lessons learned from the pilot, the program shall be rolled out to other areas in the country in a phased approach.


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