2015 ISSUE #01 ULS NEWSLETTER Members of the ULS-Strengthening Access to Justice for Children and Youths in East Africa (SAJCEA) together with members of the Uganda National Working Group (UNWG) who attended a meeting on the Child Justice Manual that was held on 29th January 2015 at the Imperial Resort Hotel pose for a group photo after the meeting UGANDA LAW SOCIETY The Uganda Law Society (ULS) is a body corporate established by the Uganda Law Society Act (Cap 276) with statutory objectives among others to improve professional standards of its members, and promoting human rights and rule of law in Uganda. Page | 1 FOREWORD MAGNA CARTA AT 800 YEARS No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice. Magna Carta, June 15, 1215 It was on 15th June 1215 at Runnymede, on the River Thames near Windsor when King John of England affixed his seal on Magna Carta (The Great Charter) to avert civil war. At this time London was under the control of the rebel barons because King John had refused to grant their demands; so he agreed to negotiate with them. It had been a long time coming for King John. The barons were unhappy with King John because of his strained relationship with the Church; he had rejected the election of Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury and so the Pope had issued an interdict, prohibiting people in England from receiving the sacraments or being buried on consecrated ground. King John had been excommunicated by Pope Innocent III in 1209, and the interdict remained in place until King John surrendered his Kingdom to the Pope in 1213. In addition, in 1214, at the Battle of Bouvines, a mercenary army raised by King John was defeated by the French and yet this army had been paid by a tax known as ‗scutage‘. The barons had also urged that all oppressive rule be abolished but King John refused to meet the barons‘ demands. It became inevitable in May 1215 for the barons to renounce their oaths of allegiance to King John choosing Robert Fitz Walter as their leader. Then came the turning point; the barons captured the city of London. The barons wanted to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical King. The demands of the barons were recorded in the Articles of the Barons and after further talks, King John granted the Charter of Liberties, subsequently known as Magna Carta, on 15 June 1215. On 19 June the rebel barons made their formal peace with King John and renewed their oaths of allegiance to him. Magna Carta would become one of the most famous documents in the world. It established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the King, was subject to the law. It promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment and access to justice without delay. Although nearly a third of the text was deleted or substantially rewritten within ten years, and almost all the clauses have been repealed in modern times, Magna Carta and its protection of ancient personal liberties influenced the formation of the American Constitution in 1789. It still forms an important symbol of liberty today. Lord Denning once described it as "the greatest constitutional document of all time – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot‖. In the 21st century, four exemplifications of the original 1215 charter remain in existence, held by the British Library and the cathedrals of Lincoln and Salisbury. These four original 1215 charters are on joint display at the British Library to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Let us prepare to commemorate 800 years of Magna Carta this June on 15th. Like Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in 1941 at his inaugural address; ―The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history... It was written in Magna Carta‖. For God and My Country. RUTH SEBATINDIRA PRESIDENT- UGANDA LAW SOCIETY Page | 2 GO SLOW AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION ON COMPULSORY ACQUISITION OF LAND Frank Tumusiime Email: [email protected] Among the human basic needs include; oxygen, water, food, shelter and sleep. It is clear that owning property is a bridge to accessing these basic needs. Article 26 of the 1995 Constitution guarantees the right to own property either individually or in association with others. It prohibits compulsory deprivation of property, except when such acquisition is necessary for public use or national security, public safety, public order, public morality or public health. The acquisition must also be made under a law which makes provision for prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation, prior to such acquisition. Article 26 its self has got flaws that require amendment for the full realization of the right to own property. To mention but a few; the phrase acquisition in public interest is vague and subject to abuse. For example the government give away of land formerly housing Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and the Shimoni land were done in disregard of public interest. Such moves propel investors to an ocean of material prosperity and cast the displaced to an island of poverty and material dispossession. Therefore as a preliminary step, public interest circumstances and limits must be specified by law. Another dilemma is that there is no comprehensive law, nor policy to regulate the process of acquisition, compensation and resettlement. As a matter of right, amendments to the law should seek to invalidate any compulsory acquisition of land, which does not provide for: notice to land owners; opportunities for land owners to negotiate; free expert (survey and valuation) support to the poor and marginalized; access to independent arbitrators in case of disagreement on the assessed values and easy and affordable access to judicial remedies; timely and prompt compensation; and lastly compensation prior to taking over the land in question. This will help avoid the prevailing slanted land acquisitions and ensure that the voiceless and poor are not cast in a valley of despair. But instead of honoring citizen‘s right to own property, the government is proposing to amend Article 26 in a way that will deprive people of their means to live. The proposed amendment seeks to take over private property before payment of a prompt and fair compensation to the owners. Exception will be where the Page | 3 …the property taken over comprises permanent and physical structures that the owner may get paid before government takes such property. Ironically, the main purpose of this proposal is to promote investment in national interest and promotion of the economy. But firstly, any business that cannot fund the startup of paying for the acquired land is nonstarter and no investment at all. Secondary, there is no national interest in displacing, isolating and exiling thousands of people in their own country. Thirdly, the poor once empowered can contribute to the development of our economy in a much a higher value than some of the questionable investors. The delay in developing Naguru housing estate, Shimoni, and UBC land etc should serve as warning signals. The proposal to limit prompt payment before taking over of the acquired property to permanent physical structures does not only comfort the rich but directly troubles and confronts the marginalized and poor that cannot afford to set up permanent structures. Worse still, these poor often lack the ability to challenge such unfair acquisition in courts of law. Another proposal is that; where the property taken over is not in a form of physical structures in permanent materials, the compensation should be paid within one year. Certainly majority poor Ugandans living in mud houses, will have to wait much longer without any compensation. The resultant landlessness and poverty will rid affected citizens of their dignity, survival and wellbeing. It should be remembered, even with the existence of Article 26 above, most people affected by various infrastructure projects have had to wait for over four years. The planned construction of an oil refinery and other infrastructure in the Albertine region, Hoima has left the affected people longing for the day they will ever be paid a fair and actual value of their property. The Courts have already ruled that any compulsory acquisition of property must be before payment of a fair and adequate compensation (see Advocates for Natural Resources Governance and Development & 2 Others vs. Attorney General; Constitutional Petition Number 40 of 2012). The Supreme Court sitting as a Constitutional Appeal Court (see Constitutional Appeal No 1 of 2004, between Phillip Karugaba and the Attorney General) has recognized that the right to property is the highest right a person can have over anything to which one claims ownership, from lands and tenements, to goods and chattels and in no way depends on another man‘s courtesy. practice of amending the Constitution without introspection can cost generations of lives and stability… The displacement of people should be the last resort as compensation for acquired land is no compensation, for it cannot replace the lost social lifestyle, etc, nor can it put the displaced in the same social economic status. In most cases, the compensation won‘t repurchase the lost assets. Even in a resettlement, the transaction costs, the production time wasted, the startup costs of a new productive activity, locating other social amenities etc further eats down any meaningful value. Compensation is therefore a sort of damage substitution. To the proponents of these amendments, let us regain our humanity. As lawyers, we can provide the much needed legal representation to the afflicted, and counsel to policy makers. To our legislators, the practice of amending the Constitution without introspection can cost generations of lives and stability. Please go slow while considering this amendment. The author is a lawyer, coordinator and advocate for Natural Resources Governance and Development. END SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE Brian Kwame Emurwon – Senior Associate, Katende Ssempebwa & Co Advocates (KATS) A former Minister for Ethics & Integrity (who, quite confusingly, heads a Directorate and not a Ministry) said that the curvaceous beauties of Kampala, when scantily clad, cause traffic accidents because ‗some of our people are weak mentally.‘ This made me wonder if similar catastrophes occur when these curves are deployed in the workplace. I got two interesting, and quite polar reactions, from two friends to whom I happened to mention that I was in the process of writing about sexual harassment in the workplace: The first said, ‗Is it because of me? Brian, I‘m only human. I won‘t pretend I don‘t see what I see.‘ And the other laughed hard as if he was being told that Joseph Kony was penning a piece on Ahimsa. The above notwithstanding, I ploughed on. The section that deals with sexual harassment—section 7 of the Employment Act—is among the most underemployed legislative provisions in Ugandan labour law. A ULII search for case law on sexual harassment yields a single result: Victor Juliet Mukasa and Yvonne Oyo v Attorney General. This case does not at all deal with sexual harassment in the workplace but rather with torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment meted out during a highhanded anti-homosexuality operation conducted by the Police. That, however, is a topic for another day Clearly then, Uganda‘s sexual harassment law is yet to develop. The question is whether jurisprudential development is necessary. Is sexual harassment a problem currently prevailing in the Ugandan workplace? Page | 4 A 2011 poll published by the local press sampled over 10,000 workers and found that a significant number of employees in Uganda experience sexual harassment in the workplace. Between 2008 and 2009, Kampala‘s Central Police Station reportedly received a minimum of two complaints per month: none of which led to a successful prosecution and many of which were later withdrawn by the complainant (Gladys Oroma ‗Sexual Harassment Cases Dropped for Lack of Evidence‘ ). Although section 7 of the Employment Act is couched in gender neutral language, one could be pardoned for presuming sexual harassment to be primarily a concern of the female employee. Frank Kiwalabye carried out a study on sexual harassment over 3 districts of Uganda in 2008. This study sampled over 1,400 female respondents and found that more than 50% had experienced sexually harassment in an employment context. The Kiwalabye study also found that the majority of Ugandan employers did not have an organisation-specific sexual-harassment policy in place and lacked the capacity to deal with sexual harassment when it occurred. Less than 14% of the respondents were aware of any policy in their workplace aimed at protecting them from sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is clearly prevalent in the Ugandan workplace. My next question is why is it so under-reported? I believe three reasons can be advanced towards explaining why: The first explanation goes to how the society in which we live structures socio-sexual interactions between men and women. A woman is taught to convey her modesty by rejecting a man‘s initial overtures however welcome they may be in actual fact; conversely a man is trained to believe that the name of the game is to overcome all resistance wherever and howsoever it may be encountered. This leads a victim of sexual harassment to second guess herself and wonder if perhaps she was the provocateur of the harassment in question. When she tactfully refused his advances; did she act in any culturally-intoned way that intimated that her N.O. was actually an N.O.W? In an environment such as this it is extremely difficult for a victim of sexual harassment to convincingly articulate how this particular man ‗over-persisted‘ to the point of becoming a pestilent presence. Such a suggestion or complaint would fail to garner a sympathetic reception. Even before uttering it, the victim anticipates hearing in response, ‗A man will be a man! How else do you expect him to be?‘ ‗Don‘t be oversensitive.‘ The second reason in my view is that the victim may hesitate to report the incident of sexual harassment for fear that the penalty meted out to the perpetrator may be inordinately dire, ie dismissal from employment. The perpetrator may be a person of high stature, may be married with children, or may be, harassment-aside, quite a likeable rapscallion. The lasting guilt of having jeopardised or ended the career of this harasser may, in the mind of the victim, outweigh any benefits of bringing the molestation to an end. The first and second explanations flow into the third; which relates to fear of reprisal after the incident is reported. The Kampala Labour Office has noted that often a complainant is victimised further by her employer and workmates after reporting the incident of harassment to their office. This is due to the lack of sensitivity towards and sympathy with the victim and the perception that the embarrassment and punishment of the harasser exceeds the ‗crime.‘ The confluence of these three factors perpetuates the vice of sexual harassment and underscores the need to adopt a proactive preventative approach as opposed to a reactive punitive approach. More so because the females identified to be particularly at risk are the unmarried, new-hires, and low-rank staff (harassment of the latter resulting, no doubt, from their lower economic and social status; high-rank employees were found to be 28% less likely to experience sexual harassment in the workplace), ie the most vulnerable in the workplace. According to the Employment Act, the responsibility for preventing sexual harassment rests with the employer. An organisation that fails to put in place adequate measures to protect its employees thus exposes itself to serious legal liability for failure to take reasonable steps to preclude the existence of a hostile work environment. This liability is in addition to the vicarious liability for sexual harassment perpetrated by a supervisor or person in a position of authority within the organisation, particularly in a quid pro quo context. The first step in discharging this responsibility is the establishment of a written policy safeguarding employees from sexual harassment and putting in place remedial measures for handling sexual harassment if it occurs. Under the law, every employer with more than 25 employees must put in place measures to prevent sexual harassment; this includes developing an organisation-specific antisexual-harassment policy and establishing a committee to handle reports of sexual harassment incidents. The policy should be the result of a consultative and participatory process that ensures that the written policy serves as a vehicle for articulating an organisation-wide understanding of the parameters Page | 5 of acceptable professional interaction; aptly identifies the type of behaviour that falls short of the accepted standard; and prescribes the steps to be taken in the event sexual harassment occurs. Another step is sensitivity training for all employees to establish a new culture in the workplace. This training would be aimed at informing and educating them about the employer‘s unequivocal stance against all forms of sexual harassment in the workplace. In this manner, confidence is established in the workforce that sexual harassment is a serious matter that will not be taken lightly and this will have a deterrent effect. But the employer must show that the policy is not merely words on a piece of paper, but has actual real world application. Lastly, complaints of sexual harassment must be investigated promptly and with the utmost confidentiality and sensitivity. In minor incidents, the identity of the victim must be kept secret and the perpetrator warned verbally and informally to avoid the complained of behaviour. In more serious cases the identity of the victim cannot be kept hidden and special care should be taken to protect complainant from reprisals on account of the disciplinary action taken against the harasser. The investigator of the complaint, who interviews the victim, alleged harasser, and all other potential witnesses, must be someone with credibility with the rest of the workers. The investigation must be seen to result in decisive corrective action. THE ULTIMATE QUESTION is, with men occupying the majority of leadership positions in the ―employsphere‖, how do we get from where we are to where we need to be on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace? From universal suffrage to equal-pay for equal-work, the history of women‘s‘ rights activism is one that‘s filled with tales of near– and, in some cases, outright– criminal callousness on the part of men. However, like most sociocivil rights matters, this issue can get traction through the intervention of the Government. A good starting point would be for labour unions and concerned civil society organisations to take the initiative of inundating the Commissioner for Labour with petitions for inspection of workplaces for the purpose of ensuring that the employers‘ duty to institute anti-sexual-harassment policies is no longer more honoured in the breach than the observance. END NOTICE PRO-BONO DAY The Uganda Law Society in conjunction with the Law Council and Democratic Governance Facility [DGF] cordially invites all Advocates and members of the public who have legal needs but cannot afford the services of a lawyer to the 4th Annual Regional Pro Bono day themed “Access to Justice for All Made a Reality” slated for 27th February 2015 at various locations nationwide. Venues: Railway Grounds – Kampala; Buhinga Grounds - Fort Portal; Busoga Square –Jinja; Arua Hill Play grounds Arua; the Legal Aid Project Offices of Soroti, Mbarara, Masindi, Gulu and Kabale. Registration fee: Free This event will add 2 CLE hours to your compliance for the Advocates who attend. STRENGTHENING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTHS IN CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA (SAJCEA) PROJECT WORKSHOP Currently, there are no legal provisions or specific guidelines on child friendly procedures for Prosecutors, Probation Officers or Police Officers. Interviewing witnesses, using child-friendly, culturally sensitive language, using interpreters, and preparing witnesses for the courtroom experience, to name just a few, should be standardized procedures that all Prosecutors, Probation Officers, Child Protection Officers and investigators are familiar with and are mandated to undertake. The Uganda National Working Group (UNWG) is comprised of members from the Judiciary, the Justice Law and Order Sector, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Legal Aid Service Providers‘ Network, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative Paralegal Advisory Services, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs – Department of Law Council, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development – Children and Youth Department, and the Uganda Law Society. Under its current work-plan, the UNWG will conduct a 2 day workshop for key stakeholders within the Justice system to enhance their capacities to promote restorative justice mechanisms in handling cases of children in contact with the law. The workshop is scheduled for 24th and 25th February 2015. UPCOMING CLE EVENTS Its main objectives are: Family Law Symposium 1. To create a platform to share experiences on Restorative Date: 10th March 2015 Justice Mechanisms and options. Venue: Golf Course Hotel 2. To strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders to implement Fee: 150,000/= a Child Friendly Justice System. Points: 5 CLE Points 3. To make proposals for a comprehensive Child Friendly Theme: To discuss Child Adoptions and Guardianships – Restorative Justice system for Uganda. Challenges & the role of lawyers; the operations and challenges of the Family and Children Court & Administrator General‘s The workshop facilitators will include Judges, prosecutors and Department and to make recommendations on how to improve probation officers from Uganda and Canada who will share administration of family justice. The symposium will also experiences from both the Ugandan and Canadian systems. It examine the work of the Child Protection Working Group & will focus on three thematic areas of Restorative what the ministry is doing to make improvements in Child Justice/Diversion, the Evidence of Child Victims/Witnesses Protection systems. and Legal and Policy Reform. Matters arising from the workshop will guide the UNWG in Legal Practitioners Conference on Litigating Election Cases the formulation of proposals for reform of laws, policies, and Date: [To Be Confirmed]19th March 2015 practices for the delivery of child friendly services to children in Venue: Golf Course Hotel contact with the law. Fee: FREE Points: 5 CLE Points ULS ANNUAL CONFERENCE & GENERAL Theme: To explore the role of the legal professional in the MEETING conduct of election petitions and preparedness. th th 24 – 25 April, 2015 Block off the dates above for the largest gathering of the legal fraternity across the country – a meeting place of more than 1700 lawyers and legal professionals from around the region. This year the conference will discuss election preparedness of the profession as well as Economic Social and Cultural Rights Please remember, this is an Election year. CLE Points: 10 Registration: Free Page | 6 EAST AFRICA INTEGRATION NEWS REVIEW The Use of ID and Single Tourist Visa Still Pending While other partner states already use the ID and the single tourist visa for travelling within the East African Community (EAC), the Ministry in charge of EAC affairs confirms that the Burundi ID is still unreliable. Since the launch of a Single Customs Territory, it is operational and clearing processes are established in the country of destination while the goods are still at the first entrance point in the EAC. When all the formalities are finished, there won‘t be any non tariff‘s barriers. Trucks come directly to the final destination. On 14th October 2014, The European Union (EU) and East African Countries (EAC) partner states signed an agreement establishing an economic partnership between the two parties. Indeed, the EAC secretariat has donated equipment for video conferences which will allow Burundi to follow the meetings organized by that department. However, even if many activities have been carried out in the Ministry of Home Affairs, some challenges still constrain the achievements of the ministry. ―The lack of funds and institutional harmonization has been major obstacles in realizing our goals,‖ mentions the Minister. But, she hopes, TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) pledges to support the Ministry to harmonize Burundian laws with EAC ones. Tanzania Keen to Crash Barriers The government of Tanzania has embarked on a project to develop three One Stop Inspection Stations (OSISs) to reduce non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade which inhibit intra-trade in the East African region. According to a statement made by TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) which supports the project including other development partners, the three locations have been selected to capture the largest amount of transit traffic. The three stations will be set up at Vigwaza in Coast Region, Manyoni in Singida Region and Nyakanazi in Kagera Region, where all regulatory authorities involved in vehicle inspection along the Central Corridor will conduct their inspections jointly at one location. The World Bank has agreed to support the preparation of the detailed design, supervision and construction of the third OSIS at Vigwaza, through the Southern Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project. The site at Manyoni captures traffic from the central corridor and that from Kenya into Tanzania and the site at Nyakanazi handles Ugandan, Burundian and Rwandan vehicles. According to the Government of Tanzania, the project will reduce the number of official checks for Transit Trucks from 17 to 3 along the Central Corridor. ―Not only will the OSIS reduce congestion of trucks parked along the roadsides and reduce accident rate caused by exhaustive drivers, but also most importantly, reduce time and costs through joint checks from the Police. Page | 7 Nakaseke Passes By–Laws on Maize Quality Standards Local government authorities in Ssemuto Sub County, Nakaseke District have passed by-laws to guide and regulate farmers and traders on meeting the maize standards for better access to markets. This was a result of consecutive consultative meetings on the East African Community maize standards, organized by Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (Seatini) Uganda. The by-laws emphasize proper drying of maize once it has matured, confiscation of immature produce, burning of fields that have been sprayed with harmful chemicals, and fields where immature maize has been slashed to dry on the ground and punishment of farmers who do not have granaries. The project targets on improving quality of maize and sesame for access to the wider EAC market. Grand TFTA Cannot be Delayed Any Longer Lusaka Trade proponents are arguing that the enhancement of regional integration and creation of a grand Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) among the three Southern and East African economic trading blocs cannot be delayed any longer as the global market is yearning for more products from the continent while the groupings need to increase intra-trade among member countries. The integrated market will comprise the COMESA, the EAC and SADC. The establishment of a single and enlarged market is expected to boost intra-regional trade and deepen regional integration through improved investment flows and enhanced competition. In fact, this integrated arrangement will create a combined population of some 625 million people covering half of the member states of the African Union (AU) and a Gross Domestic Product of about US$1.2 trillion. SADC, COMESA and EAC have agreed to hold the tripartite FTA summit in Egypt to kick start the process, with the gathering scheduled for the end of May 2015. Africa‘s longstanding vision is to be an integrated, prosperous and united continent. It is hoped that when the member states meet, those countries which will be ready to join the FTA and integrate will go ahead and move on while others that are still undecided will be compelled to join later to ensure the process is not delayed any further than has been the case. ―We cannot afford to delay the implementation of the tripartite FTA as well as accelerate regional integration because that is Africa‘s dream and desire to break into the European market,‖ says Cassam Uteem, the former Mauritius president. Series of intense consultations and negotiations have been going on since 2008 when the three regional economic communities made a commitment to jointly work together in regional integration during their historic summit held in Kampala, Uganda. The commitment shown by the three economic communities has now proved fruitful as the Grand FTA is within sight and becoming a reality. PICTORIAL OF EVENTS IN THIS PERIOD Above Left and Right: Members at recent Bar-Bench Fora & Sensitization on proposed amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules(CPR) & the draft Mutual Recognition Agreements(MRAs) in Mbarara & Mbale on 28th January & 2nd February 2015 respectively listen to contributions from attendees Left: Members pose for a group photo after a recent meeting to validate the Report on the State of the Electoral System in Uganda on 30th January 2015 at Golf Course Hotel Below: Members of the SAJCEA Uganda National Working Group meeting with the ULS Head Legal Aid at the Secretariat on the on 13th January 2015 Above: A ULS Member makes a contribution at Page | 8 the Bar-Bench Forum on CPR and the draft MRA in Kampala that was held on 4th February 2015 at the Golf Course Hotel THE FUNNIES Page | 9
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