Law Society backs striking prosecutors

As state prosecutors continue with their sit down strike, the Uganda Law Society has insisted that government should fulfil its earlier pledge to grant them a pay raise.

The prosecutors strike has been on for three weeks and has paralysed court business.

On July 13, 2017, cabinet sat and resolved to grant the prosecutors a pay raise and Justice minister Kahinda Otafiire wrote to ministry of Finance communicating the decision.

However, government later made a u-turn and announced it would only consider pay raise for public servants next financial year.

This has now triggered the  concern of the Uganda Law Society.

“Let the state commit to their pledge other than continuing to backtrack," said Francis Gimara,the president of the Uganda Law Society.

Gimara expressed concern about human rights violation for people under detention.

“The needy continue to be bounced in courts of law; the inmates have since been denied justice. It’s high time the administration of justice in this country addresses their concern”, Gimara said.

The Uganda Law Society has taken part in the negotiations between the striking prosecutors and government.

Under the current salary structure, the lowest ranking state prosecutor earns a gross salary of Shs644, 963 a month while the highest paid prosecutor at the rank of Senior Principal State Attorney earns Shs 2.1 million.