The JLOS Strategic Investment Plan (SIP III) (2012/2013-2016/2017) provides a unified policy and programmatic sectoral response to administration of justice and law enforcement in Uganda. SIP III provides a platform and spring board upon which the Government of Uganda, all sector institutions, development partners and Non State Actors shall harness their five year programs, strategies and activities. This is the basis for the unity of purpose that has so far characterized JLOS Sector performance. The strategy also provides a sector wide budgeting and financing framework for JLOS based on the MTEF and bilateral development partner contributions for the purpose of securing sustainable funding for the five year strategy.

The framework of the Sector is premised within its cardinal role of undertaking steps that enable all people in Uganda to realize the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, Chapter 4 of the Constitution-. Through a collectivization of its institutional mandates, JLOS assumes, and through SIP III, seeks to discharge the country’s obligation to respect, protect and fulfill universally accepted human rights standards. SIP III content is cognizant of the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review of Country human rights performance under the following international human rights instruments:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights
• The International Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights
• The United Convention on the Rights of the Child
• The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
• United Nations Convention Against Corruption
• United Nations Convention Against Torture
• United Nations Convention against slavery and anti-trafficking

And continental and regional human rights commitments including the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the African Charter on Human and People’s rights; the African Charter of the Welfare of the African Child; the African Protocol on Advancement of the Rights of Women; of the Juba Peace Agreement and more specifically the recommendations of the African Peer Review Mechanism Report

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Article 20 (2) of the Constitution states that “the rights and freedoms of the individual and groups enshrined in this Chapter shall be respected, upheld and promoted by all organs and agencies of Government, and by all persons”. By discharging this duty, the Justice, Law and Order Sector dovetails into Objective 7 of the National Development Plan of Uganda 2010/11-2014/2015 that recognizes the Justice, Law and Order Sector as an enabling sector for national development. JLOS is a platform and basis for the performance of the primary growth sectors that directly pursue economic growth, employment and prosperity.

JLOS SIP III also takes into account outstanding challenges in the realization of the EAC Customs Union and the Common Market and will seek to rise to the demands of the EAC Monetary Union and Political Federation.

SIP III Policy Shifts

SIP III seeks to deepen and broaden access to JLOS services through well targeted interventions aimed at the legal, policy and regulatory framework – both internal and external; enhancing access to JLOS services with an emphasis accorded to the poor and marginalized groups; and mainstreaming human rights and accountability in JLOS service delivery. SIP III calls for the full involvement of every Sector institution; individually and collectively to deliver these results within their mandates and capacities.

The character and validity of SIP III lies in the following content policy shifts:

• Expansion of legislative reform focus from process and content to includeimpact of law reforms through proactive pursuit of improvements in theenforcement of the existing legal and rights regime;

• Towards a deeper knowledge and understanding of the informal justice systems with a focus on innovations to bridge the gap between formal and informal justice systems;

• Deliberate emphasis to fully discharge sector roles and mandate;

• Expanded focus on addressing the wider civil and criminal justice while paying special attention to the following; land justice; family justice; transitional justice; Age and Gender based Violence and Workers rights.

• Development and funding of special programs to target gender, age,poverty and other forms of vulnerability;

• Tackle the growing concerns of accountability and human rightsobservance;

• Proactive engagement and reaching out to actors outside the constitution of the Sector but with a contribution to Sector goals for instance defence sector (Court Martial); Health and Education sectors; Accountability Sector etc

SIP III process shifts:

• Resource focus at the points of service delivery across the Sector: Investments under SIP III will follow the lowest levels of justice service delivery – the sub national implementation levels. This will be balanced with the necessary but lessened focus at the national level legislative, policy and programming functions.

• Work with both demand and supply sides of justice; Under SIP III the Sector will develop clear guidelines and innovative pilots of working with Non State Actors including Private Sector; NGOs; FBO and local communities. In this respect too the Sector will deploy proactive mechanisms to encourage public participation in the administration of justice and enforcement of law and order.

• Consolidation of the Sector Management Policies; Systems and Structures: Under SIP III the Sector will craft, document and broadly disseminate its management policies, systems and structures as a mechanism of stimulating internal action particularly at sub-national points of service delivery; broadening public participation; reinforcing institutional efficiency and accountability; and paying due attention to sector wide institutional capacity development including affirmative action for weak institutions.

SIP III Primary Focus 2012/13-2016/17

While maintaining due focus on the national level legislative, policy and programming functions; the thrust of SIP III shifts to the sub-national implementation levels encompassing both demand and supply sides of justice. In the next five years resources will be skewed towards addressing operational level systemic constraints to JLOS service delivery in all spheres of justice civil, criminal and administrative and stimulating discussion, knowledge and application of human rights in JLOS reforms.

Whilst sustaining its investments in prioritized and areas of promise continuing from SIP II, in JLOS SIP III JLOS will develop and fund special programs to target gender, age, poverty and other forms of vulnerability and uphold rights through system based and holistic approaches that broaden the definition of justice beyond the formal justice systems. To deepen the reforms JLOS will tackle the growing concerns of accountability and human rights observance – through standard setting; compliance check through Peer Review mechanisms and full implementation of the Sector Anti-Corruption Strategy among others. The Sector will consolidate its management systems and structures, implement a Sector management policy and continue to innovate, generate knowledge and set the pace for justice reforms in the East African Community (EAC) and in the entire African region.

A number of objectives are identified to deliver the above outcomes. The Sector will initiate and pursue the enactment into law of the Access to Justice Act; the amendment to the Children Statute, the Witness Protection Law; Review of the Probation Act; the development of service standards; the Oil and Petroleum laws among others. In addition JLOS will disseminate simplified laws to enhance access and awareness by special interest groups. By the end of SIP III, JLOS primary institutions will be physically and functionally present in all districts; the sector will also strive to reduce lead times in service delivery; institutionalize the provision of legal aid services across the country and take stern action against corruption and violation of human rights by its staff. In addition JLOS will staff and retool its institutions, renovate existing infrastructure to ensure full functionality of its institutions.

JLOS SIP III will strengthen the justice system and tackle corruption as a key constraint to economic growth, employment and prosperity. In particular JLOS SIP III will increase the pace of legal, policy and regulatory reform, and better tailor the reforms to the needs of the primary sectors of growth. JLOS will formulate and disseminate process standards and also make available to all users, government, institutions and individuals reformed laws, policies, regulations and standards in formats appropriate to the needs of the users. The reform of laws and improvements in the legal, policy and regulatory framework will be demand driven and strategic to promote the attainment of a) national development goals and b) attainment of sector results. JLOS will enter into partnerships with non state actors to disseminate available laws, policies and regulations. JLOS SIP III will also capitalise on the emergence of new information and communication technologies and use them to support improved information exchange and feedback within the different levels of JLOS institutions (vertical and horizontal flow of information).

JLOS SIP III will utilize and build upon the SIP II management arrangements including the policy and operational management system and structures; the Medium Term Expenditure Framework; the procurement regime and monitoring and evaluation system. With its strong focus on results in SIP III, JLOS SIP III includes a detailed results framework along with a results matrix. JLOS SIP III envisages three impact studies- one at the beginning to establish baselines; a Mid Term Review and an impact assessment to assess changes in the justice systems and impact on the users disaggregated by gender, age, location and claim.

SIP III Results 2012/13-2016/17

At the end of the SIP III in 2016/17; the Sector will deliver to all people in Uganda the following three results:

• A Legislative, policy and regulatory framework conducive to JLOS operations; promoting rule of law and human rights and enabling national development
• More people, particularly the poor and vulnerable groups, will have better access to justice, and live in a safer and secure environment:
• JLOS institutions that are more responsive to human rights, and are more accountable to service users and the public.
By so doing, 70% of population will be satisfied with JLOS services by 2016/17 and public confidence in the justice system will increase by 47% from the current 34% to 50% in 2016/17.

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