Law
Mak Council Visits the School of Law
The Makerere University Council visited the School of Law (SoL) on Monday, 27th February 2023. Council members held a meeting with the School leadership including the Principal, Deputy Principal and Chairs of Departments.
Mrs. Lorna Magara (Chairperson – Council) was accompanied by Hon. Dan Kidega (Vice Chairperson – Council), Mr. Edwin Karugire (Chairperson – Appointments Board), Mr. Edward Sengonzi Damulira (Council Member), Mr. Bruce Kabaasa (Chairperson – Finance, Planning, Administration & Investment Committee), Dr. Sarah Ssali (Chairperson – Quality Assurance, Gender & ICT Committee), and Mr. George Bamugemereire (Chairperson – Legal, Rules, Privileges & Estates Committee).
In her remarks, Mrs. Lorna Magara who was recently re-appointed to serve a second term as Chairperson – Council said, ‘it is a delight to be back to the School of Law. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the new Council members to the College, get to know what the SoL is doing as well as engage staff on how best to work together through this term’.
In his brief presentation, Associate Professor Ronald Naluwairo, the Ag. Principal SoL welcomed the Council members to the School and expressed optimism about the meeting. He said, ‘we don’t take this visit lightly, it is not every day that Council visits the colleges. The last time Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of Council were here, we got the new School of Law Building which we are slated to move into in March 2023’. He shared the vision, mission and strategic direction that the School is taking towards implementing its strategic plan and the University Strategic Plan. He added that the Strategic Plan of SoL is aligned to the National Development Plan III to support human resource development, community development and mindset change and administration of justice.
Professor Naluwairo explained that the SoL is constantly enriching its programmes through revisions responsive to client needs, the LL. B programme was recently revised and two new specialised LL.M programmes developed. The School is also moving to revamp its alumni association; diversify teaching methods to include clinical legal methods and online instruction which are more learner centred; as well integration of career guidance in its curricula. He also informed members that ‘In tandem with the strategic direction of Makerere University of becoming a research-led university, SoL is developing its new research agenda around five thematic areas.
The SoL has also successfully taken Makerere University to the community and made the University relevant and felt by the ordinary people through its outreach initiatives including the Public Interest Law Clinic (PILAC), Refugee Law Project, Business Law Clinic, Disability Law & Rights Centre, the Human Rights and Peace Centre, as well as the Administration Law Short Course, the Principal added.
He concluded by highlighting the major challenges and threats that SoL faces. Key among these is the delay for National Council for Higher Education to formally gazette it as a College of Makerere University. He informed the Council members that this was attributed to two major factors i.e., the unacceptable student to lecturer ratio and the poor and inadequate physical infrastructure. ‘Although the University has now addressed the latter for which we are very grateful, it is yet to address the issue of high student: lecturer ratio.’
The other challenges highlighted were: the under representation of the SoL in key university decision making organs (like in Senate where it is represented by only two people), furnishing of the new SoL building; delayed staff promotions and donor dependence for most of its outreach and advocacy initiatives.
After the Principal’s presentation, the Council members thanked SoL for the good work it is doing towards realizing the University strategic objectives. They however challenged the School to realign its strategic plan along the Government direction of science, technology and innovation. In light of the many law schools in the country now, they also emphasized the need for the School to profile the kind of graduate products it should work towards producing, who should be distinguishable and marketable. The School was also encouraged to vigorously engage its alumni to support its operations.
The meeting was characterized by open discussion and commitment for support of the SoL from the Council.
Closing the meeting, the Chairperson Council encouraged SoL leadership to continue engaging the University Secretary, Appointments Board and University Management for more in-depth discussion of the issues raised during the meeting.
Mrs. Magara advised that SoL should document the challenges and requirements, forward them to University Management who will then share them with Council for consideration.
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.
-
General2 days agoApplications for Admission to Undergraduate Programmes 2026/27
-
General7 days agoAdmission List to Bachelor of Education External (BED) 2026/27 -Government Sponsorship
-
General1 week agoMakerere University Kicks Off Semester Two Examinations Amid High Student Expectations
-
Agriculture & Environment2 weeks agoMakCAES Develops Agroecology Curriculum to Drive Food Systems Transformation in East Africa
-
General2 weeks agoCall For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda