FIDA asks govt to fast track passing of National Legal Aid Bill
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The Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda) has asked government to fast track the passing of the National Legal Aid Bill to expand access to justice and empower vulnerable Ugandans to effectively claim their rights.
The National Legal Aid Bill which aims to regulate the provision of legal aid services by service providers in Uganda to make provision for the grant of free legal services to vulnerable citizens was first tabled by a private member in parliament in 2019 and its first reading was done in 2020.
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However, it was among the bills dropped by the 10th parliament but it was re-tabled in 2021 and a new National Legal Aid Bill re-tabled in 2022.
Parliament has since gone quiet about it.
Addressing media at their offices in Ntinda ahead of their 50th anniversary celebrations , Angella Asiimwe, a FIDA member said the law which has been under consideration for several years, is essential for ensuring equitable access to justice, especially for marginalized groups such as women in cohabiting relationships who lack legal protection.
She noted that the law will ensure access to justice and empowering many of the vulnerable populations, adding it will empower FIDA to advocate for justice for women in cohabiting relationships.
"One of the reasons we also want the bill passed is that we will be able to continue advocating for the rights of the marginalized groups, such as women who are in cohabiting relationships, the black legal protection we have been having and supporting very many women in Uganda. However, one of the challenges is because the marriage and divorce bill, has not been passed," she Asiimwe said.
"We have very many gaps where many women who have even been in families had children, have cohabited for many years, 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, are not protected under the law, and that is why we need these bills passed as timely as possible, because we'll be able to support those women using the law."
Carol Idembe Bunga, a senior member of FIDA, emphasized the need to revise marriage laws, stating that the existing ones are outdated.
"The law which are there, separated as they are, are over 100 years, because the Marriage and Divorce Act, one of them was passed in 1904 and another one in 1906. We have the customary marriage which was passed in 1973 and the Hindu and then the Muhammadan law, the laws that are there are now archaic. We are into a modern world and we need to realistically look into the new context in which we are operating," she said.
She added that while the country has a constitution that reflects values, the existing laws do not adequately address the challenges present in society.
She then urged Parliament to expedite the passing of the National Legal Aid Bill to help address this.
"Parliament please do your work, you cant keep postponing your mandate" she added.
At the same function FIDA announced celebrations to marks its 50th anniversary, noting that they will be commemorating five decades of providing impactful legal aid services to vulnerable populations across the country.
The celebrations are scheduled for December 7 at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
FIDA emphasized that the National Legal Aid Bill,
Women activist, Miria Matembe, noting that FIDA has made significant contributions to the cause of gender equality and women's empowerment.
She urged people to refrain from the misconception that the Women Lawyers Association is focused solely on empowering women, emphasizing that its work promotes both gender equality and women's empowerment.
Matembe noted that if women are empowered to support men, things change for the better in their families.
"When women enjoy equal rights and they are empowered to do their role and in helping of men, things go better," she said.
Matembe encouraged men to support women's empowerment, stating that an empowered woman contributes to the stability and well-being of the man and the entire family.
According to Matembe, over the years, FIDA has not only focused on empowering women but has also worked towards the overall development of the country.
"For us as FIDA, we are happy that all this time we have been working towards improving Uganda as a nation and making things better and better."
She however, urged FIDA to address the growing challenge of online violence, highlighting that there is a significant amount of abuse on social media, and that many people are unaware of where to report it and how to seek solutions.
"There's a new challenge of online violence. I am also abused online but many times I don't know what to .So, FIDA you need to address that challenge in the next 50 years to come."
As part of their golden jubilee celebrations, FIDA announced the launch of the family justice desk, an initiative established at magisterial areas to improve citizens' interactions with the court system and enhance access to justice.
"We understand that many vulnerable Ugandans face challenges when interacting with the court system often due to ignorance and fear. They may not know where to seek help and this can hinder justice. To address this, we launched family justice desk," FIDA said.
FIDA also said that they need $60,000 to operate a legal aid clinic in each district for one year.
They said that with this funding, they can resolve 850 cases within the district.
