Law
Training on Refugee Rights & Protection Successfully Held
The School of Law (SoL) Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Class of 2021 was hosted by the Refugee Law Project (RLP) for a training on refugee law and rights on the 15th December 2021. The training held at JFrigh Hotel covered topics like sexual violence, legal framework on refugees, trafficking of persons, rights and obligations, transformative justice among others. The sessions were interactive and students kept engaged through the training. The training was well facilitated and as noted by one student Ms. Kemigisha Lizzan, “We were given breakfast, lunch and evening tea which helped us to keep focused since hunger was not an issue. We surely look forward to another training soon.”
On day one of the training, the students were welcomed by Ms. Susan Alupo and the team from RLP who explained what the project entails. Ms. Alupo explained that areas covered include: Access to justice, capacity building, empowerment, mental health, gender and sexuality.Introductions for all members in attendance were conducted and their expectations from the training were given including: To know the legal frame work to protect the refugees; To discuss on the sufficiency of the law in Uganda to protect the rights of refugees; To know the rights and obligations of refugees To know the experiences of refugees in Uganda; To understand the relationship between refugees and the host communities; To discover the role that students can play in refugee protection; and To learn more about transitional justice and how effective it is in resolving conflict.
Ms. Tina Kalitanyi facilitated Session 1: Introduction to Forced Migration and Legal Frameworks on the Protection of Refugees. Ms. Kalitanyi presented to the students the international, regional and domestic legal framework of refugee law. The presentation highlighted; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1951 Convention on the State of Refugees, the 1967 optional protocol and guiding principles, the 1969 O.A.U Convention, the 1995 Uganda constitution, the Uganda National Internally Displaced Persons policy, the Refugee Act and Refugee regulations. The REHOP policy was also pointed out as the policy that requires 70 percent of assistance to refugees and 30percent to host communities while assisting refugees.
Session two covered Rights and Obligations of Refugees while In the host country. This session commenced with a documentary titled ‘Human Lava’ after which students discussed their opinions on the contents of the video. Some of the aspects pointed out included: registration of refugees at the transit centres which are the border areas where refugees converge first; special needs groups are given attention and priority; relationships with the local people is tense at times because refugees are seen as competition for resources as well as destruction of property at the places they settle. It was concluded that refugees enjoy all rights that are enjoyed by citizens. However, they cannot participate in the politics of their host country because that would create tension in the settlements. Refugees are allowed to vote for their leaders in the settlements as well as own land on leasehold. The obligations of refugees include to respect the laws of Uganda and to pay taxes if involved in gainful employment.
Dr. David Tshimba Facilitated Session 3; Understanding Human Trafficking In the Context of Forced Migration. The session covered the definition of trafficking of persons highlighted the legal framework against trafficking of persons. The protocols covered included the Banjul Convention, the Palermo Protocol, 2000, the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNCTOC), the Uganda Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act (PTIP), 2009. Dr. Tshimba pointed out the criticisms of the Parlemo convention for the prevention, suppression and punishment of perpetrators of trafficking in persons and this is that it focuses on prosecution and ignores restitution or assistance of victims of human trafficking. A discussion on the problems that are advancing the phenomenon of trafficking in persons was conducted like the advancement of technology and the internet which grants anonymity and disregards geopolitics, a hard to regulate globalization where it is not easy to enforce these International laws as compared to National laws.
Session 4: Understanding Conflict- Related Sexual Violence was facilitated by Ms. Doreen Oyella highlighting sexual violence in the context of conflict (SVC); potential perpetrators of SVC; victims/ survivors of SVC and what makes them vulnerable. It was noted that sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, to cause terror, to assert power and as a systematic attack against communities. It was also discussed that perpetrators can be soldiers including state soldiers, civilians. The facilitator took the students through the misconceptions on sexual violence which include that men cannot be raped.
The training continued on day two with a recap of work covered on day 1 where students talked about the take away from the previous sessions and Mr. Veve Richard thanked them for paying attention and being good learners. The sessions for day 2 included Understanding Mental Health in the Context of Forced Migration facilitated by Mr. Akulla Ssubi and Understanding Conflict, Transitional Justice and forced Migration facilitated by Mr. Veve Richard.
Ms. Devota Nuwe, Head of Programmes at Refugee Law Project gave the final marks thanking the students and facilitators for attending the training. Group pictures were also taken for record purposes. The students cut a cake to mark the end of the training. The students thanked the team from Refugee Law project because all their expectations were met during the training.
The Public Interest Law (PILAC) held its 13th Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Moot on 14th May 2026 in the Makerere University School of Law (SoL) Moot Court Room. The CLE Moot is one of the clinical activities forming part of the experiential learning approach used by PILAC in its CLE class.
This Moot gives CLE students the opportunity to build their court advocacy skills, including case research and preparation, oratory and case presentation, court etiquette and teamwork, among others. This is in addition to exposing students to emerging areas of law and legal dilemmas that require specialised legal knowledge and talent to resolve. The uniqueness of this Moot lies in the fact that it is presided over by real judges, drawing mainly from the High Court. This is a result of the collaboration between the School of Law and the Judiciary of Uganda.
The Case and Arguments
This year, the theme of the moot was, ‘Rapid Economic Liberalisation and Urban Growth as drivers of inequity, weakened accountability, strained public infrastructure, and conflict between traders and the state’.
The Moot was presided over by a panel of three High Court Judges: Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, Hon. Justice Isa Serunkuma and Hon. Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha. The moot problem focused on two unique and interrelated issues. First were legal questions around public-private partnerships and the nature of the legal obligations they impose on the state. Second, there were questions about the state’s obligations regarding human rights abuses arising from the actions of private actors under public-private partnership arrangements.
A compelling display of legal advocacy, a mock human rights enforcement petition highlighted the rising tide of climate litigation across Africa, tackling the devastating human toll of environmental disasters and the inadequacy of state responses. The fictional case centred on a catastrophic flood that destroyed local businesses, displaced scores of traders, and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and her infant child.
At the heart of the legal arguments was the state’s defence: a flat-rate compensation package that critics argued barely scratched the surface of the community’s profound losses. The petition cut straight to a definitive and increasingly urgent question facing the African continent: When climate-related disasters hit already vulnerable communities, and the state fails in its constitutional duty to protect the right to a clean and healthy environment, what does the law actually require? The answer put forward by the petitioners was unwavering: the law requires a meaningful, comprehensive remedy—not mere sympathy, and certainly not token payments.
While climate litigation in Africa is still in its infancy, legal scholars note it is growing rapidly out of sheer necessity. As environmental obligations are too often treated by governments as aspirational goals rather than enforceable duties, the courtroom is emerging as a vital arena to bridge the gap between state promises and true accountability.
Highlights of the Competition and Recognition of Best Performers
A total of 30 students participated in the Moot, under three teams: Applicants, Respondents, and Amicus. After weeks of preparations, the students wore their lawyers’ robes and had the chance to appear before the panel of judges, each presenting their arguments in a passionate and eloquent manner.
At the end of the competition, the judges gave their feedback, expressing appreciation for the level of performance and preparedness of the teams. Some were complimented for performing better than some of the advocates who appear before the judges in court. The judges also provided tips and guidance for the purpose of enabling the students to improve their performance.
In his remarks, Professor Christopher Mbazira, the PILAC Coordinator, commended the students for their hard work and appreciated the judges for taking time off their busy court dockets to support the School in skilling the young future legal professionals. Each of the judges was recognised with a plaque of appreciation.
For his exceptional performance, Mayanja Owen was named Best Oralist of the competition. The Amicus team were recognised as the winning team from the presentations. Reflecting on the weight of the subject matter, the participating students expressed deep gratitude to the judging panel, their teammates who shared the immense burden of the case, and the instructors who guided them through weeks of demanding preparations.
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