Poverty and corruption affecting access to justice for the youth, says report
The Youth Justice Needs Report released by LASPNET today reveals that poverty coupled with corruption is greatly hindering youth from accessing justice from the departments and offices responsible to offer them.
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Reading the report findings at the launching event in Kampala today, lead consultant who doubles as a law don at makerere university, Christopher Mbazira confirmed that most of the youth in Uganda engage in criminal acts due to lack of productive work.
Yet when they are arrested, they cannot access justice because they cannot afford legal aid.
The report further highlights that out of 774 approved law firms, over 600 firms are operating in Kampala and a few are in urban centres way from Kampala, making it very hard for youth to access legal services.
Some of the common cases the youth are always arrested and charged for include, cases of gender based violence, land disputes, extortion, rogue and vagabond among other cases which the report attributes to poverty.
The report further recommends that youth legal friendly corners be set up and there should be a scale down of the judicial language used while charging the youth.
The report also recommends special legal services for women and youth to be set up.
Speaking at the launch of the report, the permanent secretary ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Pius Bigirimana challenged the youth to always own up to the challenge to drive themselves out of poverty.
However, Sandra Oryem the board chairperson, LASPNET urged government to always prioritise issues of youth if they are to feel that they are part of Uganda’s development agenda.
