After the public outcry over the closing of JCU Service Points Jinja and Masaka last year, good news have arrived: Fortunately, JCU has recently received funding from JLOS, sufficient to re-open the two Centres. To that end JCU will be re-opening the Centres at the Jinja High Court and Masaka High Court with effect from 13th March, 2017.
Justice Centres Uganda (JCU) is a Project of the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS), established in 2009 to provide Legal Aid to the poor, marginalized and vulnerable people in Uganda. JCU is hosted and supervised by the Judiciary.
JCU operates through Centres that provide a wide range of services that include; Legal Representation, Mediation, legal advice, support with self representation, Psycho-Social Support and Legal Awareness and sensitization as well as advocacy for reform of policies, laws and negative practices.
Justice Centres Uganda (JCU) has been providing legal aid services at Seven (7) Centres situate in Mmengo, Tororo, Lira, Hoima, Masaka, Jinja and Fort Portal.
Due to funding challenges, JCU temporarily closed the Centres in Masaka, Jinja and Fort Portal with effect from 1st July, 2016. During the closure, the 3 Centres were not taking on any new cases but continued to provide legal services to persons who were already JCU clients at the time of closure.
Fortunately, JCU has recently received funding from JLOS, sufficient to re-open two of the three closed Centres. To that end JCU will be re-opening the Centres at the Jinja High Court and Masaka High Court with effect from 13th March, 2017.
The general public especially those people in or around Bugiri, Iganga, Kamuli, Mukono, Kayunga, Jinja and Kalangala, Rakai, Sembabule, Rwengo and Masaka, are hereby notified of the re-opening.
JCU endeavors to provide professional free, quality legal services to those who cannot afford the services of a paid lawyer.
In the past year alone, JCU has; provided legal representation to 287 clients in civil and criminal court cases; mediated 881 cases; resolved 292 cases through court-annexed mediations; provided support to 712 State Brief cases; enabled the release of 1,599 prisoners under the Prison Decongestion Programme (PDP); provided psycho-social support and counseling to 186 clients; reached out and sensitized 6,909 women, 3,023 People with disabilities, 6,237 suspects at police stations, 19,930 prison inmates, 34,710 school pupils and 26,969 members of communities on their rights.
JCU would like to thank the general public, the Development Partners, particularly the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) and the Government of Uganda through the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS), for their support and encouragement through the years.