Since FRANCIS GIMARA took over as
president Uganda Law Society, three months ago, he has steered the
professional association to regaining its activist approach to the rule
of law.
From condemning court orders on the
defiance campaign to writing to the chief justice about Dr Kizza
Besigye's trial. Sulaiman Kakaire asked Gimara about his new leadership
and how he intends to redefine the new path for ULS.
Of recent you have been very vocal on the rule of law; what would you say to skeptics who think this ‘activism’ of yours will disappear as you firmly take charge of your new office?
Of recent you have been very vocal on the rule of law; what would you say to skeptics who think this ‘activism’ of yours will disappear as you firmly take charge of your new office?
Well, I take over at a time when the
five-year strategic plan of Uganda Law Society came to an end. And as of
now we are engaged in the design of the new strategic plan, which will
prioritize rule of law.
And, by the way, this is part of the
statutory mandate of the Uganda Law Society as stipulated in the Uganda
Law Society Act. We shall pursue it through our leadership, it is not
any other stunt; there is much good will from members and everything has
been thought about.
Well, the previous leadership came with the same promise, but soon we saw ULS rushing to nominate a member to have the lord mayor impeached or disown statements!
Well, the previous leadership came with the same promise, but soon we saw ULS rushing to nominate a member to have the lord mayor impeached or disown statements!
Well, I am not here to assess the
previous leadership but I think that they have their strengths. How are
we going to be different? I have proposed to have a proactive approach
to the issues of rule of law that will involve consistent engagement
until the culture of rule of law is entrenched by all the stakeholders
in the country. To this end, we are finalizing the final aspects of the
Rule of Law Project.
Under this project, we will have a Rule
of Law Advisory Committee composed of eminent members of the ULS. This
committee will routinely advise on matters of rule of law in the country
and will work with the ULS Council and the Committee on Rule of Law and
Strategic Litigation to advance the rule of law agenda in the country.
Secondly, we will work with all the
stakeholders to ensure that we build a strong judiciary that will be
able to effectively perform its role as a custodian of law and of
justice. The importance of a strong judiciary in advancing the rule of
law cannot be [overstated].
So, we are to play an important role to
ensure there is independence of the judiciary, particularly on the
appointment of judicial officers and respect of the court process. We
have been receiving briefs on the work of the Judicial Service
Commission and we intend to raise concerns about its work. Read more
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