Legal Officer
AI summary
Justice Defenders is recruiting two Legal Officers for Jinja District and Kalangala District to support a project improving fair trial access and timely justice delivery for inmates. The role involves courtroom representation, legal aid, self-representation coaching for inmates, rights education, and building prison-based paralegal networks. The position is a one-year contract, subject to renewal based on performance and funding.
- Two vacancies: one based in Jinja District and one in Kalangala District
- One-year contract with possible renewal based on performance and funding
- Direct courtroom representation, bail hearings, and appeals for eligible inmates
- Coaching inmates for self-representation and running legal rights clinics
- Establishing and mentoring prison-based paralegal networks
- Deadline listed as 2026-08-23
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Original source description
2 Legal Officers
2026-08-16T07:21:12+00:00
Justice Defenders
https://cdn.greatugandajobs.com/jsjobsdata/data/employer/comp_5373/logo/Justice%20Defenders.jpeg
https://www.justice-defenders.org/
FULL_TIME
Jinja District; Kalangala District
Uganda
00256
Uganda
Nonprofit, and NGO
Legal,Social Services & Nonprofit,Lawyers & Lobbyists,Human Rights
UGX
MONTH
2026-08-23T17:00:00+00:00
8
Position 1: Legal Officer (2 Vacancies)
Duty Stations: One (1) based in Jinja District; One (1) based in Kalangala District
Reports To: Country Programs Manager
Contract Duration: 1 Year (Subject to renewal based on performance and funding)
About Justice Defenders
The global justice gap disproportionately affects the poorest and most marginalised populations, particularly those in custodial settings. We are living amidst a global justice crisis. We believe that everyone has the right to tell their side of the story before being convicted of a crime or punished. Justice Defenders works with defenceless communities to provide world-class legal education, training, and practice. Training paralegals within defenceless communities provides access to free legal services at the point of greatest need.
We work for justice for everyone, without breaking fellowship with anyone. Incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated people, and prison staff offer unique perspectives on legal systems. Yet their experiences are rarely listened to. Bringing them together with prosecutors, the police, judges, experienced lawyers, and academics creates remarkable possibilities for good.
About The Project
Justice Defenders, in partnership with the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), is implementing a two-year project titled "Enhancing access to fair trial and timely justice delivery for inmates at Jinja and Kalangala prisons" under the Community Justice Program Phase II (CJP II), 2025–2030. This sub-project aims to strengthen access to fair trial rights and timely justice delivery for inmates by addressing the legal, procedural, and institutional barriers that contribute to prolonged detention, particularly for remand prisoners, including women and other vulnerable groups.
To support this intervention, Justice Defenders Uganda seeks to recruit qualified, passionate, and dynamic professionals to fill the following three (2) positions:
Job Summary
The Legal Officer will implement field-level operations to address legal, procedural, and institutional barriers causing prolonged detention in Jinja and Kalangala prisons. The role focuses heavily on protecting the rights of remand prisoners, providing direct courtroom representation on behalf of Justice Defenders, coaching inmates for self-representation, and building sustainable legal empowerment structures within the target prisons.
Key
Responsibilities
- Courtroom Advocacy: Serve as the primary legal counsel representing Justice Defenders and providing legal representation to eligible inmates in courts of law, including during trials, bail hearings, and appeals.
- Self-Representation Coaching: Conduct targeted clinics to prepare inmates for self-representation, equipping them with court rules, trial procedures, cross-examination techniques, and public speaking confidence.
- Rights
Education
- & Awareness: Conduct rights
- campaigns and distribute accessible information materials to strengthen inmates’ understanding of their constitutional, procedural and trial rights.
- Paralegal Capacity Building: Establish, train, and provide technical mentorship to prison-based paralegal networks consisting of both inmates and prison staff.
- Direct Legal Aid Delivery: Provide comprehensive legal aid services, including case file tracking, legal document preparation, file tracing, and surety tracing to fast-track bail application approvals.
- Mediation & ADR: Facilitate alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and victim-offender mediation and reconciliation for petty offenders to aid prison decongestion.
- Institutional Coordination: Support case tracking and active coordination among justice system actors (Police, State Attorneys, Judiciary, Prison administration) to remove system bottlenecks.
- Legal Research. Carry out legal research to support clients’ cases and ensure compliance with criminal legal procedures and practices and government policies.
- Feedback & Accountability Structures: Create structured feedback and accountability mechanisms between inmates and duty bearers to reduce case delays and improve system responsiveness.
- Required Qualifications &
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC).
- Professional Status: Enrolled Advocate of the High Court of Uganda with a valid, current practicing certificate (mandatory for court representation).
- & Awareness: Conduct rights
- campaigns and distribute accessible information materials to strengthen inmates’ understanding of their constitutional, procedural and trial rights.
- Paralegal Capacity Building: Establish, train, and provide technical mentorship to prison-based paralegal networks consisting of both inmates and prison staff.
- Direct Legal Aid Delivery: Provide comprehensive legal aid services, including case file tracking, legal document preparation, file tracing, and surety tracing to fast-track bail application approvals.
- Mediation & ADR: Facilitate alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and victim-offender mediation and reconciliation for petty offenders to aid prison decongestion.
- Institutional Coordination: Support case tracking and active coordination among justice system actors (Police, State Attorneys, Judiciary, Prison administration) to remove system bottlenecks.
- Legal Research. Carry out legal research to support clients’ cases and ensure compliance with criminal legal procedures and practices and government policies.
- Feedback & Accountability Structures: Create structured feedback and accountability mechanisms between inmates and duty bearers to reduce case delays and improve system responsiveness.
- Professional mastery of English
- Working fluency in Lusoga (for Jinja)
- Working fluency in Luganda (for Jinja and Kalangala)
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC)
- Enrolled Advocate of the High Court of Uganda with a valid, current practicing certificate
- bachelor degree
- 24
- JOB-6a8164e82cdc0
Experience
- Minimum of 2–3 years of hands-on
- in criminal defense litigation, legal aid delivery, or human rights advocacy in Uganda.
- working in the prison community will be an added advantage.
- Language Skills: Professional mastery of English. For Jinja-based positions: Working fluency in Lusoga and Luganda is highly desirable. For Kalangala-based position: Working fluency in Luganda is highly desirable.
- Courtroom Advocacy: Serve as the primary legal counsel representing Justice Defenders and providing legal representation to eligible inmates in courts of law, including during trials, bail hearings, and appeals.
- Self-Representation Coaching: Conduct targeted clinics to prepare inmates for self-representation, equipping them with court rules, trial procedures, cross-examination techniques, and public speaking confidence.
- Rights