The Head of the Bar Course at the Law Development Centre (LDC), Annet Karungi, has attributed the high failure rates among students to the inadequately prepared training and skills provided to lawyers at various universities.
Karungi made these remarks during her appearance before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. The Centre was present to defend the 2024/25 ministerial policy statement.
She expressed concerns that the nine-month duration at LDC was insufficient to bridge the knowledge and skills gaps observed among students. Karungi emphasized the significant disparities in grounding and curriculum across different universities.
Karungi clarified that the institution admits students from 14 universities, both domestic and international, many of whom exhibit knowledge deficiencies.
"It is challenging for us as an institution to address these knowledge and skills gaps within the nine months. This contributes to the persistent low pass rates," she explained.
Fox Odoi from West Budama North East raised questions about the omission of detailed student performance information in the LDC's report to Parliament.
"In terms of law, we needed to see the breakdown of students' performance - those who passed, those who required supplementary examinations, and those who failed. This remains a recurring issue," he stated.
Recently, the LDC faced backlash as students expressed concerns over discrepancies in exam results, highlighting issues of fairness, accountability, and administrative competence within the institution.