Uganda Law Society vows to rid law profession of quacks and dishonest lawyers

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has vowed to weed out quack and unprofessional lawyers bringing the disrepute to the profession. The body says it is earmarking avenues of feedback from the public on unprofessional practitioners, while it will enforce litigation on imposters.

The Law Society President Simon Peter Kinobe says a clean-up of certified law firms and advocates is among solemn promises for the vocation in 2019.

Kinobe says, “We will inspect with an aim of shaming those that don’t have approved chambers and those that don’t have practicing certificates, so we are going to be moving with the police, the law council going throughout the country arresting those who are holding out to be lawyers when they are not.”

The public has been on the wrong end of; double dealing, fraud, among other cases. The association is strengthening feedback from the public to enable the legal whip on wrong elements.

Kinobe urges members of the public to come forward and report lawyers that have either forged practicing certificates or don’t have them.

Meanwhile, last year Institutions within the justice law and order sector such as police undertook restructures in the form of reshuffles. The body says for such gains to be consolidated, there should be reskilling practitioners to help them appreciate the depth and concept or rule of law.

He says, “We want to see more training of law enforcers in understanding of rule of law, that actually torture is not acceptable and is wrong, that you can interrogate an accused without beating them, that you should allow the media do its work among other things”

The justice system was also drawn in a battle of supremacy and independence from other arms of government in 2018. Kinobe says both government and individuals should commit to a better relationship

Kinobe however adds “But that also casts burden on the judiciary to be sensitive on issues of law. Last year we had a few issues of carelessness on that part, like a judicial officer issuing an order before visiting locus but by and far they did a good job but we had those few issues but now we have to be very careful with decisions so that they are respected they are not seen as impunity.”

2018 was characterized with sizable cases of land wrangles, the law society says the lands ministry is the mother of all troubles.

The ULS president also noted the duplication of roles that has left the public confused. There is for example the Bamugemereire land commission inquiry, the anti-corruption unit among tribunals sharing judicial space.

He argues, “We need to avoid replication of work and that what I see happening so often, you have a body and when you feel it’s not doing sufficient work then you put another body.”