By Kassim Ssematimba
Uganda Law Society (ULS) officials have explained the purpose and progress of the ongoing Pro Bono Week, which officially began on Monday, July 21, and runs until Friday, July 25.
Lawyers, Arthur Isiko, ULS Treasurer, and Mariam Nansukusa, Manager for Legal Aid and Pro Bono, appeared on television on Wednesday morning to update the public on the week’s activities.
They explained that the Pro Bono Week is part of ULS’s mandate to offer free legal services to people who can’t afford to pay for a lawyer, noting that the society was established under an Act of Parliament, and its constitution allows to ensure that all Ugandans, regardless of their financial status, are able to access justice.
Isiko said although the week officially started on Monday, he personally launched it on Sunday in Nsumbi, Nansana Municipality, where he resides. There, he carried out a community sensitization exercise, teaching people about their legal rights and responsibilities.
According to the lawyer, there he found that many residents lacked basic legal knowledge and did not know the difference between civil and criminal cases.
Isiko added that during this Pro Bono Week, ULS teams are moving across the country to engage directly with the public.
He said they have already visited several prisons, where they are interacting with inmates, many of whom are detained simply because they lack money for legal representation. He noted that a large percentage of prisoners are on remand and some have overstayed without their cases being heard.
He explained that the Society is also going to markets, schools, and other public spaces, where lawyers participating in the outreach are wearing identifiable shirts so that members of the public can easily find and speak to them.
The services being offered during this week are free of charge, and people are encouraged to come forward for assistance.
Isiko also said that ULS has over 6,000 lawyers across the country, and they are all currently involved in the Pro Bono Week, encouraging people who can’t afford lawyers to visit any of ULS’s regional offices and get help, not just this week, but throughout the year.
Ms. Nansukusa, on her part, explained that while the Pro Bono services are open to all types of legal cases, ULS is placing special focus on criminal matters during this campaign. She added that land-related cases are also being prioritized, since many people are victims of fraud linked to land transactions.
She gave an example where someone may be defrauded of money during a land sale, and the case is wrongly taken to a criminal court, instead of being handled in a civil court. She said ULS is helping to direct such matters to the right channels, and all this is being done free of charge.
Both officials emphasized that even though this week is meant for mass sensitization, ULS provides free legal aid all year long, saying the Pro Bono Week is mainly to create more awareness about the services available and to reach people in communities who might not know where to go for legal help.
The Pro Bono Week continues until Friday, with more community engagements, prison visits, and legal education sessions expected across the country.
