The National JLOS Forum is intended to provide a platform for the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) to listen to its stakeholders and for the JLOS leadership to share their vision with the country about how they intend to deal with critical issues affecting the stakeholders. The JLOS Forum therefore presents an opportunity to the sector to address priority issues necessary for building a strong efficient and effective justice system.
The theme of this year’s forum is “a pro- people justice system” which has been identified to highlight the important functions and responsibilities people play in the administration of justice.
Objectives
The objective of the forum is to:
- Highlight the important role and responsibilities people play in the administration of justice
- Identify solutions to bottle necks limiting private sector growth in Uganda
- Identify and tackle corruption affecting service delivery across the justice chain
- Agree on minimum bench marks for pro people planning and budgeting across the chain of justice
Rationale for the Theme
Uganda has made remarkable improvements in restoring the rule of law and building institutions that support good governance and promote peaceful co-existence and development in society. Key among the institutions are those that make up the Justice Law and Order Sector, which are responsible for ensuring justice for all, safety of the person and security of property. With the right political, social, cultural and economic policies coupled with a good legal regime anchored in the full implementation of the National Development Plan, Uganda stands to be transformed into a prosperous middle income country in the nearby future.
Be that as it may, Uganda’s structural transformation can only occur if the country overcomes what the National Development Plan has identified as the most binding constraints to development. These include weak public sector management and administration, inadequate financing and financial services, inadequate quantity and quality of human resources, inadequate physical infrastructure, gender , low application of science and technology and innovation, and inadequate supply and limited access to production inputs. JLOS, like any other government sector must overcome these constraints by reforming, restructuring and resourcing of government systems to make them responsive to the needs of the people, who are the beneficiaries of development.
According to the National Development Plan, JLOS is an instrument for realizing growth and social economic development. An effective justice system provides the enabling environment for people and the other sectors of the economy to participate in wealth creation. Indeed, no country has been able to achieve structural transformation without an effective justice system.
Research done in Uganda indicates that people consider effective justice systems as one of the key drivers of development and would therefore, like to have a justice system which is fair, faster, cheaper, predictable, corruption free and efficient. People also want a justice system they can identify with use at the least convenience. A justice system which respects, promotes and protects fundamental human rights without discrimination endears the population.
Unfortunately, people consider JLOS services to be among the most expensive because of delays and corruption. The justice system is least understood by the public and is seen as being out of touch with reality; the legal regime in some respects is seen as a hindrance to investment and not considered a key priority in development programs. Furthermore, JLOS planning and strategies are seen as supply oriented focusing more on what institutions think without caring to allocate resources to activities people consider priorities. Turning around JLOS therefore, requires the sector to be people centered and focus its attention to activities that directly benefit the common person.
Directive Ten (10) of National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution provides that:
“The state shall take all necessary steps to involve the people in the formulation and implementation of development plans and programs which affect them”.
JLOS is therefore, obliged to involve people in the formulation of its programs as it lays the foundation for building a value driven justice system as it prepares to launch its Third investment plan alongside institutional investment plans. The National JLOS Forum will therefore address issues that have alienated JLOS from the people and come up with recommendations that will build JLOS institutions which are people centered and run on principles of good governance.
Topics to be discussed at the National JLOS Forum
The following issues which touch people as they come in contact and conflict with the justice system will be discussed at the forum;
- Civil Society Participation in the Justice System; what went wrong?
- Unblocking the potential of the Informal Justice System.
- Regulatory challenges and obstacles to private sector growth.
- Planning and Budgeting for the People.
- Building an effective public service for wealth creation and generation.
The National Justice Forum will be preceded by an open day on March 19, 2012 at the Railway grounds Kampala to highlight the different roles JLOS plays in the day to day life of ordinary people.
The Open Day will be an opportunity for the JLOS institutions to interact with the general public and showcase the services they provide under the theme: “A Pro-People Justice System”. Each institution will be required to operate a stall that displays its work and operations
For more information about the National JLOS Forum, contact the JLOS Secretariat on 0414-253207
