AN OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF LAW CLINICS IN ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN UGANDA

Abstract

According to International and Ugandan laws, everyone is entitled to a fair trial. However,
many Ugandans still molder in prison and others have failed to access justice due to a number
of reasons among which is having limited resources to access legal services. This state of
affairs hinders exercise of right to justice as enshrined in the Ugandan Constitution thus
creating mistrust and misconceptions about the justice system. Research shows that a key
mechanism in tackling this problem is the introduction of legal aid clinics within the paradigm
of higher level of education system (vide the creation of University Based Legal Clinics).
Devotion of time by law students and their tutors in ensuring that clinical legal education is
implemented at its best will enhance the access to justice as legal practitioners and trainees
will be available to provide pro bono or free services to the poor and vulnerable people.
Uganda has a few standing regulations related to Legal Aid as the country awaits the National
Legal Aid Bill to come into effect. This means that few lawyers feel obliged to provide legal
assistance in one way or the other. University based legal clinics will stimulate the legal skills
of law students from various Universities as they will have an opportunity to assist and also
deal with real life cases with real clients. This legal aid system will play a vital role when
working along with the judiciary and other stakeholders to improve on the overall quality of
professional education, while extending their legal services to the indigent people. The
objective of this paper, against the above background, is to examine the role of law clinics in
accessing justice in Uganda