KAMPALA - The Hague Institute for the Innovation of Law (HiiL) in partnership with the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) is set to hold a justice innovation product launch on 5^th November 2020 via a series of webinars and online events.

Uganda is one of the most active countries regarding justice innovation and has a great amount of successes worth sharing. These successes will be supported by new data and research on formal and informal justice delivery in Uganda, which will also be presented during this event.

A second nationwide Justice Needs and Satisfaction Survey in Uganda was conducted in 2019. The event will feature these research findings of problems, resolution and people-centred impacts, as well as findings on the three most pressing problems: Land, Crime and Divorce and Separation.

Also lined for launch is a new integration of survey data with administrative and social media sources, which offers one of the most uniquely comprehensive understanding of justice from multiple perspectives. Stories from thousands of people map out the complex navigation of how people seek to get justice.

This event is a kick off of a series of webinars intended to increase capacity across the country to measure justice, visualize justice data and use it for project proposals and programming.  

Interested in participating in this event? Please REGISTER in advance. Joining the online event is free.

Published: October 30, 2020

KAMPALA - The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in partnership with the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) held the 2^nd JLOS Annual Anti-Corruption Forum on 28^th October 2020, as part of the Government annual anti-corruption campaign. The Forum was held under the theme “Technological Readiness for Effective Accountability in Pursuit of a National Middle-Income Status: A Critical Reflection on JLOS Anti-Corruption Legal Enforcement’. The focus was the operability and effectiveness of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Anti-Corruption Court Division of the High Court, in light of the use of technology.

The Forum was convened and presided over by Hon. Justice Jane Frances Abodo, the Director of Public Prosecutions who emphasised the importance of embracing technological capabilities to meet the contemporary crime challenges and manifestations, especially for white-collar crime. The Forum demonstrated how technological advancements have increased the sophistication of crime, now invisible to traditional crime management systems. Economic crime in particular, has a direct negative correlation with development and if left unchecked, can pave way for State capture. It can undermine and further delay Uganda’s development efforts and aspiration for a middle-income economic status.

Development Partners, including the United Nations Development Programme and the Austria Development Agency in Uganda emphasised the corrosive effect of corruption on Uganda’s economic growth and welfare of citizens. The poor and marginalised persons are prone to suffer a disproportionately higher burden of corruption when for instance seeking justice services or medical care. The Partners echoed their commitment to support Uganda’s development agenda, more so in the modernisation of the justice, law and order institutions, and building technological capabilities to effectively combat corruption. 

The Forum resolved to enhance institutional strengthening and integration, reforming and completing pipeline anti-corruption legislation, and embrace the required technologies. Embracing integrated modern hardware and software technologies, applying big data and machine learning to facilitate processes among the criminal justice chain-linked institutions, should be integrated with credible system security against hackers and internal breaches. The technological reforms should be matched with specialised human resource skilling and development of expert anti-corruption investigators, prosecutors and adjudicators. Matters of legality and admissibility of evidence sourced from local and international jurisdictions using mutual legal assistance procedures are equally very important. Therefore, investment in research and innovation in different spheres of technological development and application is key to ensure a holistic transformation. This is the reality of the fourth industrial revolution.

From a governance point of view, while modern technology minimises opportunistic corruption and enhances institutional efficiency, the transformation should be matched with sufficient sensitisation of duty bearers and the public to ensure informed and effective utilisation of the proposed developments. Stakeholder inclusion is central to ensure no one is left behind under this transformation in terms of access and operability for both duty bearers and the public. As a matter of caution, data protection, systems security, management and regard for human rights must be observed. Data privacy, confidentiality and protection are critical considerations that must be part of a technological revolution. The transformation must comply with modernisation and legality to maintain legitimacy and the rule of law of Uganda’s anti-corruption enforcement.

In attendance was Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo – Judge of the Anti-Corruption Court; AIGP Grace Akullo - the Director of Criminal Investigations in the Uganda Police Force; Mrs. Alice K. Khaukha – the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions; and Dr. Syliva Namubiru - the Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) that explored current trends and gaps that need urgent redress. Dr. Anga R. Timilsina (Ph.D.), the Global Programme Advisor on Anti-corruption at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided a global perspective to embracing technology in anti-corruption law enforcement. The Forum was coordinated by the JLOS Secretariat, represented by the Senior Technical Advisor, Ms. Rachel Odoi-Musoke and attended by over 150 stakeholders from various government departments, civil society, the academia, development partners, and the general public.

 By Mudoi Musa

Published: October 29, 2020

As we continue to fight against the spread of Covid-19 Pandemic, the Uganda Police Force application (UPF MOBI APP) has been expanded with 6 more improved features for public use.

These include; a map which can help a person seeking help to locate a police station or post nearest to him or her. Contacts of officers from different policing units are accessible using this application. The App, when downloaded to an individual’s phone can quickly help the nearest police to connect a person in need of help to the patrollers and other response units in the callers’ locality for a faster response

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Published: April 23, 2020

To ensure business continuity during this COVID-19 lockdown, the Uganda Law Society has partnered with the Judiciary to use Zoom Video Conferencing in adjudication of matters.

This will be done in line with the Judicature (Visual -Audio Link) Rules, 2016 (SI 26 of 2016) and the Constitution (Integration of ICT into the Adjudication Processes For Courts of Judicature) (Practice) Directions, 2019.

To make this process work, all practicing advocates in Uganda are required to send their contact details to the Judiciary ICT department to enable direct invitation of advocates and their clients to hearing activities like: Rendering of judgments and urgent hearings. 

CONTACT (ULS Head Office):

Plot 610, Buye, Ntinda along Wamala Road off Ntinda-Kisaasi road

P.O. Box 426 Kampala

+256-414-342424

EmaIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CLICK HERE for ULS regional contact information

Published: April 16, 2020

NAGURU - The President of Uganda and the Commander in Chief Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Thursday commissioned the national CCTV command monitoring centre and the building at Police Headquarters in Naguru.

He said Kampala Metropolitan alone has 83 monitoring centres, 522 operators under 50 commanders.

“I tested the system with an impromptu demand that they show me surveillance feed for Gobero and Namayumba, 33 miles from Kampala, on Hoima Road, which they did successfully,” he said.

“It is evident that we are well on our way to tightening the noose on criminals who had become daring, including those who unfortunately thought they would use crime to discredit the NRM.”

Museveni said the good news is that this is just the beginning.

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NAGURU: November 29 2019

The Uganda Police Force application for information sharing and dissemination(MOBI APP) has been expanded to now include a map that can help a person seeking help to locate a police station or post nearest to him or her. Contacts of officers from different policing units are accessible using this application. The App, when downloaded to an individual’s phone can quickly help the nearest police to connect a person in need of help to the pat-rollers and other response units in the caller's locality for a faster response.

A team has been carefully selected to manage this app, to receive and manage information shared on this app and to connect to response units in case of need. We believe this will reduce response time to incidents, thus minimizing pain and loss.

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Published: July 16 2019

KAMPALA - Several JLOS institutions have been nominated for the upcoming EGov (E-Government) awards to be held on June 27, 2019, at Speke Resort  Munyonyo. The Egov awards, an initiative of the National Information and Technology Agency (NITA) seek to recognise Ministries, Departments and Agencies that have excelled in the provision of E-services to the public.The awards are also meant to create awareness about E-government programs and the role of ICT in improving service delivery. The Egov Excellence Awards were launched on May 28 2019 at Skyz Hotel in Kampala.

JLOS institutions nominated include the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Services (e-immigration system) and Uganda Registration Services Bureau (electronic business registry) - in the Citizen's Choice Award Category.

CLICK HERE to vote for DCIC and URSB.

Published: June 15, 2019

His Excellency, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni assented to the Data Protection and Privacy Act on 25th February 2019.

The law, which expands the mandate of the National Information Authority Uganda (NITA-U), will protect the privacy of the individual and of personal data by regulating the collection and processing of personal information.

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Published: March 1, 2019

KAMPALA - The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire this afternoon met with a visiting delegation from Estonia led by the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Väino Reinart. The Estonian delegation is in the country on a two-day official visit to engage with the Government of Uganda on aspects cooperation and partnership between Uganda and Estonia in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

The Honorable Minister welcomed Hon. Reinart to Uganda and underscored the need for increased partnership between Uganda and Estonia not only in the domain of ICT but in other economically viable fields of agriculture, transport, power generation and tourism. He further requested the Estonian delegation to explore Public Private Partnerships (PPP) as a viable model for implementation of projects in Uganda.

The Ag. Solicitor General, Ms. Harriet Lwabi in her remarks underscored the need for technology driven processes in the Ministry. She said this would relate to areas of case management, electronic records management, information sharing and collaboration. Ms. Lwabi also emphasised the need for integration of information systems among all players in the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) as a mechanism for improving effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery. 

Hon. Reinart thanked the minister for the warm welcome and said Estonia is eager to create long lasting partnerships with Uganda that will facilitate knowledge transfer and human capacity development in the implementation of E-Government programs. He invited the minister to visit Estonia later this year to see first-hand how technology has revolutionised the Estonian economy, contributed to improved access to services in the justice sector and facilitated citizen empowerment. 

Present at this meeting from the Ministry of Justice was the Director of Legal Advisory services, Mr. Christopher Gashirabake; the Director First Parliamentary Counsel, Ms. Harriet Lwabi (and Ag. Solicitor General); representatives from the Directorate of civil Litigation, the Law Council and the JLOS Secretariat.

Hon. Reinart was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and business representatives from leading ICT players in Estonia’s private sector such as Net Group, Nortal and Aktors. During this visit, the Estonian delegation will also pay a courtesy call on the Deputy Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo.

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By Edgar Kuhimbisa | Published: May 10, 2018

By Nathalie Dijkman

For the second time HiiL has held an Innovating Justice Boostcamp in Kampala, which took place on 7 and 8 September this year. The Boostcamp was part of the selection process for the winners of the Innovating Justice Challenge 2017, a global challenge that seeks to find innovative solutions preventing or resolving the most pressing justice needs of people around the world. 

This year, from over 60 applications that came in from Uganda, 10 were shortlisted by HiiL to take part in the Boostcamp, and 5 of those ended up pitching in front of a jury to stand to win the Challenge. The shortlisted innovations are tackling a variety of justice needs, including gender based violence, land disputes, forced migration and employment issues. 

During the first day of the Boostcamp, the group of innovators took off on a bus early morning to Entebbe to spend a full training day in retreat-setting guided by a group of expert mentors. The programme included learning about Lean Start-up methodology, filling out a Social Business Canvas, designing their first experiments on a Javelin Board and practicing their 4-minute pitch. In the afternoon the teams, recognized by bright ‘Justler’ t-shirts, went off into a small town off Entebbe Road to conduct interviews with local citizens, testing their main assumptions. As one of the innovators said: “We learned a lot from listening to people who are meant to use our service. (…) From all the people we talked to, everyone has had a problem with land. They didn’t know where to go and the question then is whether our service can make a real difference.” 

The next day, on 8 September, the wider public and key stakeholders were invited to the Boostcamp to meet the innovators and exchange ideas on justice innovation. This event was held at Africana Hotel during the Legal Aid Innovations Conference, which was co-organized by BarefootLaw, LASPNET, DGF and HiiL. The morning of the event held speeches by a.o. Chief Justice Katureebe, the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Chair of the Judiciary ICT Committee Justice Kiryabwire. Up to 300 people came to this inaugural conference to learn about the most innovative justice solutions currently available in Uganda and how to improve justice through technology and citizen-centred solutions. HiiL’s Justice Needs in Uganda report, which was launched in April 2016, was mentioned by all stakeholders as a cornerstone of the evidence currently available on the most pressing justice needs in Uganda. 

The five innovations selected by HiiL which were pitching in front of the jury in the afternoon included: E-Migrate (an easy and safe travel agency for migrants and refugees), Evidence and Methods Lab (smart infographics of complex justice problems to promote accountability), Muslim Centre for Justice e-Law App (a legal sms service for Muslim minorities and users of the Qhuadi court), Land Title Search App (a smartphone land title verification tool) and Weetase (a voice-based mobile app to monitor victims of (forced) migration and trafficking). 

The 5-headed Jury, chaired by Lucy Ladira, the lead Advisor on Criminal Justice at the JLOS Secretariat, concluded during the public Jury Debrief that they were impressed by the pitches and solutions of all teams, although there was definitely a need for them to research their problem further. The Evidence and Methods Lab was announced as winner by HiiL’s alumni (Lawyers4Farmers and Justice2People), and special mentions went out to Weetase and the Muslim Centre for Justice (strongest impact) as well as the Land Title App (best presentation). 

This month HiiL is holding similar Boostcamps in Accra (Ghana), Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), The Hague (Netherlands) and Kyiv (Ukraine). At each event, innovators are trained and winners are selected by a local jury. All winners of the Boostcamps win 5000 EUR in seed funding and are invited to take part in HiiL’s Accelerator programme. In total, 12 teams are also invited to come to The Hague in December to take part in the Justice Entrepreneurship School and present their innovations in the Peace Palace. 

Nathalie Dijkman is the Justice Sector Advisor (East Africa Program Coordinator) at HiiL

Published: September 19, 2017