JUDICIARY Latest Features

The Deputy Chief Justice, Dr. Flavian Zeija (far right) with a team from the Legal Aid Clinic Advisory Board of the Law Development Centre

Earlier today, a team from the Legal Aid Clinic Advisory Board of the Law Development Centre (LDC),led by Lady Justice Eva K. Luswata (Chairperson), paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Chief Justice, Dr. Flavian Zeija, at the Court of Appeal in Kampala.

The visit aimed to invite the Deputy Chief Justice to the Clinic's 25th anniversary celebrations and to brief him on its work.

The team included Ms .Lydia Namuli Lubega (Manager, Legal Aid Clinic of the LDC), Ms. Caroline BungaIdembe (Representative, Civil Society Organizations on the Legal Aid Clinic Advisory Board), and Mr. Eric Hatanga (Representative of the Uganda Law Society). In attendance was HW Mwesigye Julius, Personal Assistant to the Deputy Chief Justice.

During the engagement, the Deputy Chief Justice commended the Clinic for extending legal services to indigent persons and supporting the judiciary, particularly through mediation, small claims, and state briefs. He highlighted the challenges posed by the absence of a comprehensive national legal aid law and the collapse of justice centres following the cessation of donor funding. Dr. Zeija stressed that legal aid remains a critical service that must be preserved, even if the LDC transitions into an examination centre.

"The importance of legal aid services is very critical in this country. We must struggle to keep it, whatever form the LDC will take," he said.

He also observed that with increased staffing of advocates, the Clinic could expand its support beyond lower courts, including state briefs for higher courts. Highlighting the judiciary's funding constraints, he noted that budgetary increases have stalled due to competing national priorities such as elections. Nonetheless, he expressed willingness to explore ways for the judiciary to support legal aid within major courts once resources improve and pledged to engage further to ensure the Clinic’s preservation in whatever form the LDC adopts.

Dr. Zeija encouraged the Clinic to use its 25th anniversary not only for celebration but also as a platform to strengthen engagement with government, the judiciary, and other partners to secure its future.

Lady Justice Luswata emphasized the centrality of the Legal Aid Clinic to the LDC's mandate ,describing it as both a service provider and a training ground for students. She underlined the importance of supporting its sustainability and reaffirmed the Clinic’s role as one of Uganda’s leading providers of legal aid services.

Ms. Namuli highlighted that the Clinic's 25 years represent not only service delivery but also growth in technical legal education. She described its student-led model, supervised by advocates, as providing affordable yet effective assistance to vulnerable persons. She also noted the Clinic's innovations in child justice, alternative dispute resolution, and reconciliation programs.

She further reported that the Clinic has transitioned from reliance on donor funding to securing budget appropriation from Parliament under the Administration of Justice Program a milestone that warrants celebration. Ms. Namuli added that the Clinic operates in centres across the country, including Jinja, Mbarara, Mbale, Lira, Adjumani, and Kabarole, often housed within court or ministry premises, reflecting the judiciary's trust in its work. Each year, the Clinic handles more than 5,000 cases, often exceeding planned targets, demonstrating that legal aid remains both an access-to-justice tool and an educational platform.