What is law in Uganda?
1.0 Who is a lawyer in Uganda?
According to Dictionary.com, lawyer is a general term for a person
who gives legal device and aid and who conducts suits in court.
In the Ugandan context, a lawyer is someone who has studied law and earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from a recognized university.
In East African countries, LL.B degree program is four years but in other countries one spends up to seven years of training.
In the Ugandan context, a lawyer is someone who has studied law and earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from a recognized university.
In East African countries, LL.B degree program is four years but in other countries one spends up to seven years of training.
1.1 How to Prepare for law when at O-Level (Junior High School)
- Develop
an oral argumentative mindset, especially through debate.
- Develop
critical thinking skills.
- Develop problem
solving skills.
- Develop
critical analysis of statements, paragraphs and books through avid
reading.
- Develop an
attitude of seeing justice as a grand norm to live by and be ready to
defend or offend for its sake.
- Ability to
listen critically and analyze situations at hand.
- Ability to do
very well in all subjects with aim of developing excellent grades in the
national examination ending O-Level, Uganda Certificate of
Education (UCE).
N.B
In Uganda, UCE grades are so important in determining the
Academic Weight upon which a decision is made for admission into the
university.
Every Distinction weighs 0.3 points, every credit weighs 0.2 points and every pass weighs 0.1 points. The maximum a student can earn is 3.0 points.
The closer one’s weight is to 3.0 points, the easier it is to be admitted for a competitive course like law.
Every Distinction weighs 0.3 points, every credit weighs 0.2 points and every pass weighs 0.1 points. The maximum a student can earn is 3.0 points.
The closer one’s weight is to 3.0 points, the easier it is to be admitted for a competitive course like law.
1.2 Preparation for long vacation (Long holiday of waiting for the outcomes of UCE) as an aspiring lawyer.
- Read at least 10 novels.
- Do regular exercises.
- Engage in community service while scanning what role you can play to make life better.
- Get time to frequent the Courts of Judicature to see business is conducted in these “Temples of Justice.”
- Engage in other community activities that glue people together, lie church activities.
- Read Newspapers daily.
- Spare time for friends of the same vision.
- Use the internet to find out more about the course you want, universities where it is offered, the costs and its future opportunities and threats.
1.3 Preparation for law at A-Level (Senior High School)
1.
It is better you do subjects that make you more prepared for
the course and these are the humanities which include a combination of the
three of these; History, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Geography, Literature in English and Divinity.
However, in Uganda, Bachelor of Law course is open even to students who offered sciences but along the way change their mind to go for law.
However, in Uganda, Bachelor of Law course is open even to students who offered sciences but along the way change their mind to go for law.
2.
Consolidate your energy to read more extensively as you develop
parts
a) to g) realized during preparation for law at O-Level.
3.
Register and work very hard to obtain excellent grades in the
national exams, Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE)
1.4 What to do during the Long vacation in preparation for the law course.
I would advise
my S.6 vacationist for the return of UACE results to consider volunteering
to work at any Law firm
so that they can grow up the desire for the course.
Paying visits to the Courts of Judicature in session widens the scope of what is built in you.
Just the environment of the Court chambers, the bench of advocates and their legal arguments, the position of the Judge and his verdict motivate you to aspire join these ranks.
Paying visits to the Courts of Judicature in session widens the scope of what is built in you.
Just the environment of the Court chambers, the bench of advocates and their legal arguments, the position of the Judge and his verdict motivate you to aspire join these ranks.
1.5 Requirements for admission to Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)
The LL.B. lasts 4 academic sessions or 8 semesters and should in
any case be completed within 6 academic sessions or 12 semesters.
Completion of the LL.B program takes a minimum of 4 years.
Completion of the LL.B program takes a minimum of 4 years.
Universities Recognized To Offer Bachelor of Laws in Uganda |
There
are a number of universities in Uganda that are approved to offer undergraduate
degrees in law for aspiring lawyers but some have other requirements in
addition to excellent grades in UACE, as shown below:
No
|
School
|
Conditions
|
1
|
Bishop Stuart
University, Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
2
|
Busoga University,
Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
3
|
Gulu University,
Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
4
|
Islamic University in
Uganda, Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
5
|
Kampala International
University, Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
6
|
Kampala University,
Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
7
|
Makerere University,
School of Law
|
UACE & good marks in pre-entry examination.
|
8
|
Nkumba University,
School of Law
|
UACE
|
9
|
St. Augustine
International University, Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
10
|
Uganda Christian
University, Faculty of Law
|
UACE & good marks in pre-entry examination.
|
11
|
Uganda Pentecostal
University, Faculty of Law
|
UACE
|
1.6 Law Development Center Uganda, (LDC)
To pursue a legal career in Uganda, one must first obtain a
Bachelors degree in law, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal in
Practice (LDP) from the Law Development Centre which is in essence the bar
course.
After passing the bar, one has to apply to be enrolled as an advocate of the bar and can appear in all Courts of Judicature in Uganda.
After passing the bar, one has to apply to be enrolled as an advocate of the bar and can appear in all Courts of Judicature in Uganda.
An advocate is a member of the legal profession
who represents a client in court when pleading or defending a case. In Uganda
an advocate can also be called Counsel or Attorney.
1.7 Promotional ladders for lawyers
a. Prosecutor
b. Director
of Public prosecution (DPP)
c. Solicitor
General
d. State
Attorney
e. Magistrate
f. High
Court Judge
g. Constructional
Court Judge
h. Supreme
Court Judge
i. Chief
Justice
1.8 Job
Assurance
Currently Uganda only
has 2,000 registered lawyers. Ordinarily
if every inhabitant must have a lawyer, then the lawyer to inhabitant ratio
is 1:17,250
Law Jobs in Uganda
Where can lawyers access work?
a) Ministry
of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
b) The
Judiciary, the Courts of Judicature as Magistrates and Judges
c) Judicial
Service Commission
d) The
Law Reform Commission
e) The
Electoral Commission
f) The
Uganda Land Commission
g) Uganda
Registration Services Bureau
h) Uganda
Human Rights Commission
i) Kampala City Council and other Local
Governments
j) The
Law Council
k) The
Law Development Centre
l) Government as a State Attorney
m) One can go
into private legal practice as an Advocate (Partners and Legal Associations)
n) Non Governmental
Organisations boards (NGO)
o) Academic Institutions to
lecture as a lecturers of Law
p) Corporate companies and
other Organisations as Company Secretaries or
Legal Officers.
q) The Parliament as a
Politician or as a Parliamentary Counsel.
r) Can join
International benches including
Ø Lawyers without
boarders
Ø International Court
of Justice (ICJ)
Ø International
Criminal Court (ICC)
Ø etc
The
student who does not plan success in future is inevitably plans failure.
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better for consumption are welcome
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