Call for abolition of LDC amid admission crisis
The LDC has long been the sole institution in Uganda responsible for training law graduates to become practicing lawyers.
Law advocates in Uganda are calling for the abolition of the Law Development Centre (LDC) following its failure to admit over 1,500 students this year and its decision not to defer them to the next academic year, citing a lack of resources from the government.
This has sparked widespread frustration among students and legal professionals.
Advocate Yasin Munnagomba argued that it's time for the LDC to transition from being a teaching institution to functioning solely as an examination body.
“The LDC has breached fundamental decisions of law and left many students in limbo. It’s time they focus on examinations rather than teaching,” Munnagomba stated.
The LDC has long been the sole institution in Uganda responsible for training law graduates to become practicing lawyers.
However, this year's admission crisis, where over 1,500 qualified applicants were denied entry, has raised questions about the institution's capacity and role.
Currently, only 1,260 students were admitted, with 597 applications deferred and 240 students required to retake exams.
Bernard Oundo, president of the Uganda Law Society, echoed Munnagomba’s concerns and proposed an alternative solution: adopting a five-year university education system for law students, followed by a national bar exam.
“We need to move towards a five-year law program at universities, then have a national bar exam that filters. It’s essential for universities and the Uganda Examinations Board to collaborate on this,” Oundo suggested.
With 15 universities offering law degrees in Uganda, the demand for practical legal training at the LDC has consistently exceeded its capacity, leading to repeated calls for reform.
The ongoing admission issues have renewed the debate over the future of legal education in Uganda, with many urging the government to reconsider the current system to avoid leaving more students in uncertainty.
