By Robert Rutaro
Open Letter to the Incoming Uganda Law Society President
By Advocate Robert Rutaro
Dear Mr/Madam. President,
As the Uganda Law Society prepares to welcome your new administration, lawyers across the country are looking beyond personalities, political affiliations, campaigns and electioneering. They are asking a more fundamental question: What kind of leadership does the Ugandan legal profession need at this moment?
You are about to inherit an institution whose responsibility extends far beyond professional events and elections. The ULS is the collective voice of lawyers, an important stakeholder in the administration of justice, a defender of the rule of law and a participant in national conversations on constitutionalism, human rights and access to justice.
The office is therefore bigger than the individual who occupies it, the political camp that supports him or her, or the election that brought them there.
The time has come to move beyond politicking, empty rhetoric and strategically unproductive internal fights.
Tuuli bakoowu.
Lawyers are tired, and many are struggling economically to sustain themselves in private practice.
Rent at home and in the office, fuel and transport, utilities, staff salaries, food, professional subscriptions and the rising cost of Continuing Legal Education are placing enormous pressure on advocates. Young lawyers and those running small practices are particularly vulnerable.
There are also concerns about scarcity of clients, exploitation and sexual harassment by some senior counsel, difficult relations with Government institutions and the Judiciary, disciplinary pressures and the deteriorating public image of the profession, issues which require urgent attention.
Defending the rule of law is fundamental, but lawyers also have families to feed and bills to pay. We cannot sustainably defend the rule of law on empty stomachs. Lawyers’ welfare must therefore become one of the priorities of the incoming administration.
Unify the Profession
Your first responsibility should be to unite the profession.
Lawyers come from different generations, political opinions, regions and areas of practice. Those differences should not become institutional divisions.
The new President must reach out to lawyers who supported him or her and those who did not. The Society should be a home where every advocate feels represented, including when they disagree with its leadership.
Dialogue should be preferred to confrontation, mediation to unnecessary litigation and institutional reconciliation to personal rivalries.
The ULS cannot effectively speak for lawyers when lawyers themselves feel divided.
Defend ULS Independence
Unity must not mean silence.
The Society must remain independent enough to speak on matters affecting the legal profession and administration of justice without fear or favour.
But independence does not require hostility. ULS should criticize where criticism is necessary, cooperate where cooperation is beneficial and negotiate where dialogue can produce better outcomes.
The Society should maintain constructive engagement with Government, Parliament, the Judiciary, Police, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and other institutions while protecting its professional independence.
The concerns raised around the role of the Attorney General in ULS administration also deserve serious attention. If necessary, statutory and legal reforms should be pursued to ensure that the Society remains genuinely independent.
Make Lawyers’ Welfare a Priority
The incoming administration must make the economic welfare of advocates a central part of its agenda.
ULS should pursue affordable professional development, health and welfare programmes, support for young and newly enrolled advocates, mentorship opportunities and better professional support for lawyers in employment and private practice.
The Society should also explore establishing a strong ULS savings and credit scheme through which advocates can save and borrow at affordable rates.
Strategic partnerships could help young lawyers acquire motor vehicles, land, housing or construction materials through manageable long-term payment arrangements.
A Society that speaks about justice for society must also ensure that its own members can live and practise with dignity.
Create More Work for Advocates
The Society must also actively pursue reforms that create legitimate professional opportunities.
There should be discussion around legal reforms that expand or protect statutory work for advocates, including appropriate requirements concerning land transactions, certain contracts and company documentation. Other opportunities could include greater involvement of advocates as probation officers and reforms allowing local governments to retain private lawyers for legal services.
The objective should not merely be to complain about the shortage of work. ULS should help create an environment in which legitimate legal work is available to its members.
Give Young Lawyers a Real Voice
Young lawyers are the future of the profession. They must not be treated merely as campaign crowds or election numbers.
The incoming administration should establish structured mentorship programmes linking young advocates with experienced practitioners, judges, academics and other professionals. Young lawyers should also be prepared for emerging fields such as technology law, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, arbitration, mediation, environmental law, fintech, corporate governance and international commercial transactions.
Their participation in decision-making should be meaningful, not symbolic.
The Uganda Law Society must also become more accessible beyond Kampala. Lawyers practising in regional centres should feel that ULS belongs to them as much as it belongs to advocates in the capital city.
The Society should strengthen regional structures and create regular channels through which upcountry lawyers can communicate their concerns directly to the leadership.
Digital platforms should also be embraced for communication, consultations, elections, continuing legal education, membership services and access to professional resources.
Reform Professional Discipline
As lawyers, we cannot demand professionalism from others while failing to maintain high standards within our own profession.
Discipline is necessary, but disciplinary processes must be fair, transparent, consistent and reconciliatory.
ULS should consider establishing an internal disciplinary tribunal where civil complaints against advocates can first be considered before proceeding to the Law Council, with an appropriate appellate mechanism.
Such a tribunal could provide an avenue for mediation and reconciliation while ensuring that legitimate complaints are not ignored. Discipline must never become a weapon for settling personal, political or professional disagreements.
Repair the government, Judiciary and Bar relationship
The incoming leadership must also work to rebuild the relationship between the Bar, Bench and Government.
Concerns around delayed cases, access to court files, case management, electronic filing, execution of judgments, lengthy detention, allegations of torture and other challenges affecting the administration of justice require serious attention.
But these issues can be pursued through firm advocacy and constructive engagement. The Society should be willing to challenge institutions where necessary while maintaining respectful channels of dialogue.
We cannot afford to operate as though ULS is a government within Government. Do we have guns?
Our strength is the law, advocacy, reason, negotiation and the professional authority entrusted to us.
Above All, Listen
Mr/ Madam President, lawyers need a President who listens.
Listen to senior advocates. Listen to young lawyers. Listen to lawyers outside Kampala. Listen to those who supported you, but also listen to those who opposed you.
The Presidency should not be an office that lawyers approach only during crises. There should be regular consultations and accessible mechanisms for receiving complaints, proposals and recommendations.
The President must be accessible, accountable and prepared to explain decisions taken in the name of the Society.
Be President of the Whole Society
Finally, Mr. President, the campaign is over.
Do not become President only of those who supported you. Become President of the Uganda Law Society.
Rise above personalities, factions and internal battles. Restore unity. Protect institutional independence. Prioritize lawyers’ welfare. Create opportunities for young advocates. Strengthen regional representation. Promote professionalism. Engage Government and the Judiciary constructively. And listen to the members you have been entrusted to lead.
The profession is watching.
The lawyers are waiting.
The opportunity to build a stronger, united and more respected ULS is now yours.
Lead with humility. Unite with courage. Listen without prejudice. Serve with integrity.
God bless the Uganda Law Society.
God bless our mother profession.
God bless advocates.
The author is an Advocate and Partner at Elgon Advocates. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
