The Chief Registrar, HW Sarah Langa Siu, on Wednesday met a team from the Young Lawyers' Network (YLN), led by the interim president, Mr. Tonny Tumukunde, in her chambers at the Judiciary headquarters.
The purpose of their visit was to submit a petition on the challenges of young lawyers.
The meeting was at the request of the young lawyers to discuss the challenges they face. She expressed interest in learning more about the Young Lawyers' Network and how the Judiciary could assist them.
Mr Tumukunde provided a brief background on the Network, explaining that it was established just a month ago, on July 25, 2024, at Mestil Hotel by more than200 young lawyers.
He noted that YLN is part of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), similar to other networks, and advocates for better working conditions for young lawyers. The network also supports university students and lawyers who have not yet enrolled as advocates.
The YLN constituency mainly consists of lawyers with less than five years experience.
Mr. Tumukunde emphasized the importance of mentorship programmes and support for young lawyers and highlighted various challenges they face, including inadequate remuneration, sexual harassment, non-payment of wages, limited mentorship opportunities, and poor working conditions.
Mr. Arthur S. Baliruno, the interim spokesperson, thanked the Chief Registrar for the meeting and commended her for the diligent work. He emphasized that YLN does not aim to compete with ULS but seeks to create positive changes for young lawyers.
Quoting1 Timothy 4:12, he emphasized that they were there to represent thousands of young lawyers and present constructive ideas. Mr. Baliruno pointed out several issues, including challenges with contractual agreements and minimum wage, uncertainty regarding payment timelines, and delays in the enrollment process at the Law Council. He stressed that "justice delayed is justice denied" and highlighted the need for job opportunities for young lawyers, proposing that recent graduates should be given priority for Magistrate Grade One positions.
The YLN team proposed several recommendations, including issuing certificates of eligibility immediately after graduation at the Law Development Centre, supporting the idea of minimum wages for young lawyers, creating a digital platform to streamline the enrollment and renewal of practicing certificates, and establishing mentorship programs for young lawyers. They also suggested that the Judiciary consider e-enrollment and filing of applications for practicing certificates, as well as providing out-of-pocket support for lawyers on clerkship in the Judiciary.
The Chief Registrar thanked the YLN team for raising these important issues. She informed them that plans to digitize the process of obtaining practicing certificates are already underway, with the aim of eliminating manual filing. Regarding internships, she acknowledged the professional benefits for young lawyers but noted that there is currently no budget for facilitation.
She advised the YLN to engage with the leadership of the Uganda Law Society about scaling down subscription fees to create fairness, and to collaborate with the incoming executive of ULS. HW Langa encouraged them to approach ULS gradually and aim to be accepted rather than be seen as a parallel entity.
The Chief Registrar also proposed involving the Chairperson of the Law Council to support the digitalization of their processes. She encouraged YLN to engage with other stakeholders relevant in addressing the challenges faced by young lawyers and offered to participate in a platform with a full panel for further discussions. She emphasized the importance of documenting their achievements and advised the leadership of YLN to engage with the leadership of the Law Development Centre (LDC) on the issue of certainty of admission to the Bar course, and to work with the Law Council on how to fast-track applications for enrollment.
Mr. Tumukunde was accompanied by several members of the network, including Mr. Fred Magala, Mr. Emmanuel Okubu, Mr. Cohen Tumwine, Mr. Mike Kirungi, and Mr. Pius Kiyemba.
Also present at the meeting was HW Timothy Lumunye, Principal Magistrate Grade One and the Chief Registrar's Personal Assistant, who noted that progress is being made towards the implementation of e-Practicing Certificates. He highlighted the need to create a system that includes all stakeholders in the process of issuing practicing certificates, acknowledging that stakeholders are currently at different levels of digitalization.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from the YLN team, who expressed their gratitude for the warm reception, guidance on the next steps, and the Chief Registrar’s willingness to engage with their concerns. They offered their prayers for continued blessings and looked forward to maintaining close communication as they work towards their shared goals.
Posted 28th, August 2024
