Like other countries on the African continent, the Ugandan justice sector faces many challenges. Citizens demonstrate a widespread distrust towards formal justice institutions, which are perceived as corrupt, removed from the communities, expensive and slow to resolve disputes. This lack of confidence in the formal system leads people to resort to other means to seek recourse, and may also increase the likelihood of violence and further corruption.
IDLO is rolling out a program that aims to secure accessible, quality and sustainable justice services for citizens - particularly those living in rural, poor and other disadvantaged communities. The program will support both state and non-state legal aid, legal empowerment and other justice delivery interventions. A major component of the program is enhancing the capacity of justice actors at the national, district and community levels to provide the most vulnerable and marginalized citizens with quality and equitable legal knowledge, aid and redress. Key activities will target, among others, the adoption of information and communication technology within justice institutions, criminal justice reforms, strengthening forensic investigation, prosecution and adjudication of crimes, deepen state-funded legal aid services, and enhance commercial and land justice sector reforms.