Kampala, Uganda — The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has called on government agencies to respect court decisions and follow the rule of law. This was shared in the New ULS Quarterly Rule of Law Report, launched today in Kampala.
The report examines how well Uganda is upholding the law and protecting human rights. One of its main recommendations is that the government should hold human rights abusers accountable for their actions.
The report also urged the Judiciary to take a human rights-focused approach when handling court cases.
In his remarks during the report launch, Mr. Asiimwe Anthony, Vice President of ULS, raised the concern about Uganda’s Ranking on global level in regard to the rule of law.According to the World Justice Project, Uganda is 126th out of 142 countries worldwide, and 29th out of 34 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He also pointed out ongoing problems in the country such as kidnappings, low public trust in politicians and government institutions and electoral violence.
He also reported incidents where lawyers, have been abducted and kidnapped.
Another concern in the report is overcrowded prisons. There are over 75,000 prisoners in jails meant to hold only 21,000. Mr. Asiimwe said this is a serious human rights issue and called for reforms.
ULS continues to work on making justice accessible to all Ugandans. The society offers free legal help and recently held a pro-bono (free legal aid) week.
Mr. Ramathan Abubaker, President of the East Africa Law Society encouraged ULS to leverage on technology and digital tools to support justice in the country.
