The Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) has been at the forefront of reforming Uganda’s justice system since its inception in 1999. Nineteen years on, the achievements, milestones and success stories are visible, challenges notwithstanding. From reforms in commercial justice to the good legislative and policy environment, unprecedented infrastructure development (construction of numerous justice centres across the country) to award-winning innovations and initiatives (small claims procedures, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, sentencing guidelines, plea bargaining, etc,) – the sector is on course in its bid to create a pro-people justice system in Uganda.

It is, however, important to further examine how “pro-people” the workings of the sector are. Pro-people in this context is that JLOS has over the years strived to champion the cause of the vulnerable, the poor and generally those who are disadvantaged in different ways – financially, socially and even physically.

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NOTE: This article was originally published in the Daily Monitor on 17th January 2019.

By Edgar Kuhimbisa / Published: January 17, 2019 

On Wednesday April 20, 2016, the Managing Director of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) Mr. Martin Ledolter toured sector investments in Isingiro district in the company of several ADC officials and JLOS Secretariat staff led by the Senior Technical Advisor.

During the visit, the team visited Isingiro Justice Centre where a meeting with court users, local leaders and members of the Isingiro DCC was held. The team was later given a tour of the picturesque justice centre (Court, Police, and DPP offices). We later visited Isingiro Government Prison where the team interacted with inmates on issues of access to justice and service delivery.

Mr. Ledolter pledged continued ADC support to sector initiatives and acknowledged the value of ensuring access to justice especially for the vulnerable and poor.

By Edgar Kuhimbisa | Published: April 21, 2016

The media last week was awash with allegations of one billion shillings "structure" in Ibanda funded by the Justice, Law and Order Sector - what we call a justice centre. An impression has been created that 1.5bn shs was spent in constructing a single structure. This is not true at all. The funds from JLOS were used to construct a complex (group of buildings and structures) that house the courts, office of the DPP and the police headquarters in Ibanda.

A Justice Centre is a group of structures for JLOS front line institutions that collectively provide services to the people in a bid to facilitate quick access to justice.

Comprehensive pictures of Ibanda Justice Centre are available online: https://web.facebook.com/JLOSUganda/posts/1002298709824595

Published: May 2, 2016

The Justice, Law and Order Sector is set to construct Justice Centres in the districts of Kiruhura and Ibanda, South Western Uganda. This was revealed during the ground breaking ceremonies held in the two districts on May 21 2014 presided over by Justice Remmy Kasule (representing the Ag. Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Stephen Kavuma) in the company of the the Minister for Local Government and Maracha County MP, Hon. Alex Onzima and the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of State for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Fredrick Ruhindi. Also present were officials from various JLOS institutions, district and religious leaders as well as members of the public. The JLOS Development Partners Group (DPG) was represented by officials from Sweden, Austria and Ireland.

Justice Centres Uganda, is coming to the end of the three year pilot phase on 30^th June 2013. As part of the activities to mark the end of pilot phase, Justice Centres Uganda is holding a two day open legal aid clinic in which the public will be offered free legal aid services from 18^th to 19^th June 2013, at the Constitutional Square in Kampala.

In carrying out this activity, Justice Centres Uganda will collaborate with other Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) institutions including; the Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service, Judiciary, Uganda Law Council (ULC), Uganda Law Society (ULS), Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Department of the Administrator General and other legal aid service providers and non state actors, such as Paralegal Advisory Services (PAS), Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET), Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity (UCLF), National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda (NUDIPU), Uganda Women Lawyers Association (FIDA).

The activity is intended to bring together the access to justice institutions, for purposes of enabling members of the public have their legal and human rights issues addressed by the Institutions to which these challenges relate, in a bid to bring access to justice closer to the people.