HomeCategoryLegal Assistance

The Pro Bono Project of the Uganda Law Society

For over 14 years, the Uganda Law Society’s Pro Bono Project has provided free legal services to vulnerable and marginalized individuals across Uganda. Supported by development partners, the project operates through Legal Aid field offices in Kampala, Jinja, Soroti, Gulu, Arua, Masindi, Kabarole, Mbarara, and Kabale.

1. Legal Representation through Pro Bono (2023)

With support from the Netherlands Embassy, the project offered:

• Legal advice & counseling (354 beneficiaries)
• Court representation (456 beneficiaries)
• ADR/mediation services (305 beneficiaries)
  Total assisted: 1,115 people

2. National Pro Bono Day Celebrations

The 14th Annual National Pro Bono Day (September 1, 2023) focused on:

• Theme: “Understanding Succession Processes to Protect Property Rights & End Family Conflicts”
• Participants: 1,141 advocates (741M, 400F)
• Clients served: 3,187 people (1,891M, 1,296F) across 9 districts

Pro Bono Week (August 28–31, 2023) activities included:

• Community sensitizations (prisons, radio/TV talks)
• Blood donations, material donations (remand homes)
• Sports & media engagements (football in Gulu, broadcasts on King FM, NBS TV, UBC, etc.)

3. The Duty Counsel Scheme

Advocates stationed at courts & police stations provided:

• Legal advice & bail/bond representation (931 beneficiaries)
• Referrals for further assistance (56 beneficiaries)
• Total served: 990 people (743M, 247F)

Supported by: Netherlands Embassy & Governance and Security Programme.

This program aims to strengthen Uganda’s criminal justice system by improving access to legal aid, enhancing court processes, and promoting alternatives to imprisonment in line with United Nations standards.

1. Legal Assistance for Suspects & Inmates

With support from UNODC, the project provided:

(i) Court representation (293 beneficiaries: 248M, 45F)

(ii) Legal advice & counseling at police stations/prisons (741 beneficiaries: 652M, 89F)

(iii) Resolved cases (338 beneficiaries: 285M, 53F)

• 162 cases concluded in court
• 176 cases resolved at police stations

(iv) Total assisted: 1,034 suspects/inmates (900M, 134F)

2. Community & Prison Sensitizations

The program conducted:

(i) 20 community sessions educating 343 people (157M, 186F) about criminal justice processes

(ii) Prison workshops for 761 inmates (712M, 49F) on:

• Trial procedures
• Rights of accused persons
• Victims’ rights

(iii) Self-representation training for 215 inmates (188M, 27F)

3. Capacity Building Initiatives

(i) Trained 25 legal advocates (17M, 8F) on:

• Bail guidelines
• Human Rights Enforcement Act
• Emerging trends in criminal justice

(ii) Recruited & trained 50 community paralegals to provide:

• Public legal education
• Basic legal advice on suspects’ rights

4. Stakeholder Coordination

(i) Held 5 District Coordination Committee (DCC) meetings

(ii) Attended by 94 justice sector actors (52M, 42F)

(iii) Key discussion topics:

• Criminal justice reforms
• Inter-agency collaboration
• System efficiency improvements

Supported by: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

These clinics provide critical legal services to underserved communities in Uganda’s northeastern region, focusing on representation, mediation, and community legal education.

1. Direct Legal Services (2024)

The clinics have provided:

• Court representation: 421 people (333M, 88F)
• Mediation services: 107 people (71M, 36F)
• Legal advice: 2,064 people (1,613M, 451F)

Total cases handled: 3,223

Case Breakdown:

• Land/property issues: 2,135 cases (66%)
• Criminal cases: 917 cases (28%)
• Custody/child maintenance: 58 cases

2. Community Outreach & Capacity Building

(i) Conducted 19 community outreaches

• Reached 2,341 people (1,418M, 923F)
• Topics: Legal rights & human rights education

(ii) Trained 397 paralegals (250M, 147F) to strengthen community legal support

3. Mobile Court Sessions

• Held 6 mobile court sessions
• 187 cases handled
• 115 cases successfully concluded

Supported by: Embassy of Ireland in Uganda

This program delivers critical legal services to refugees and host communities in West Nile and southwestern Uganda.

2024 Key Achievements

1. Direct Legal Services

(i) Total beneficiaries: 269 people (239M, 30F)

• Court representation/mediation: 151 people (138M, 13F)
• Detention facility legal advice: 85 people (82M, 3F)
• Legal documentation support: 11 people (9M, 2F)

2. Mobile Legal Clinics

• 15 clinics conducted
• 21 beneficiaries served (10M, 11F) with legal advice

Supported by: International Rescue Committee (IRC)

This initiative provides essential legal protection to refugees and host communities, ensuring access to justice in Uganda’s West Nile region.

Key Services & Achievements

1. Direct Legal Assistance
Total Beneficiaries: 930 persons (621M, 309F)

• Court representation: 90 persons (89M, 1F)
• Legal advice/counseling (clinic): 201 persons (131M, 70F)
• Legal documentation support: 122 persons (72M, 50F)
• Detention facility legal aid: 69 persons (60M, 9F)

2. Community Legal Empowerment
(i) 6 awareness sessions conducted

(ii) 330 participants educated (163M, 167F) on:

• Human rights
• Legal processes

3. Collaborative Monitoring

(i) Joint detention visits with UNHCR, IRC, HADS to assess:

• Human rights compliance
• Conditions in detention facilities

Supported by: Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

This initiative delivers critical legal services to refugee populations and host communities in Western Uganda, ensuring equal access to justice.

Key Services & Achievements

1. Direct Legal Representation
(i)Court representation: 251 persons (215M, 36F)

(ii) Legal documentation support: 34 persons (23M, 11F) including:

• Statutory declarations
• Other essential legal documents

2. Protection & Awareness Activities

• 40 detention monitoring visits conducted
• 21 legal awareness sessions held for communities

Supported by: ALIGHT Uganda