Paralegal Training Manual – Bundibugyo District Uganda

This Training Manual has been developed to provide civil society leaders in Bundibugyo district with legal information and practical skills that will enable them to select and train local residents to provide paralegal assistance to their neighbours in relation to the specific legal needs identified by the community. The provision of paralegal services is intended to increase rights awareness on the part of local residents as well as their ability to vindicate those rights through access to institutions responsible for ensuring justice.

The Training Manual is intended to be a practical and flexible instructional training document. Each module can stand alone and be used in whole or part, depending on the target training audience and can be adapted to specific situations depending on the needs of trainees. The terms “Trainer‟ and “Facilitator‟ are used interchangeably but mean the same thing.

The training manual has adopted a learning methodology targeted to addressing the needs of adult learners so as to sustain their motivation, strength and alertness in training. It utilizes a learning process that enables trainees to incorporate and extrapolate from their life and daily experience in addition to theory. It poses problems rather than merely giving answers. This means that learners are allowed to make a critical analysis of their own circumstances and come up with workable solutions.

This training approach focuses on the process as much as the content because this largely determines the degree to which people‟s perceptions, attitudes, values, beliefs and practices will change. In-depth analysis and reflection on issues is key in the learning and attitude-change process. It is not about how many topics one has covered over a certain period. Rather, it is about the extent to which people become familiar with issues under discussion in each particular module.

This Manual is a guiding document for paralegals trained under this programme. The Manual provides reference notes at the back to guide the trainers and give further information on the modules handled.

Table of Contents
FOREWORD  1
ACRONYMS  6
MODULE ONE: THE ROLE OF A PARALEGAL  7
UNIT 1 WHO IS A PARALEGAL?  8
UNIT 2 QUALITIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED OF A GOOD PARALEGAL  9
UNIT 3 USEFUL TIPS FOR PARALEGALS  10
UNIT 4 THE PARALEGAL CODE OF CONDUCT  12

MODULE TWO: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN UGANDA  14
UNIT 1 UNDERSTANDING HUMAN RIGHTS  15
UNIT 2 HUMAN RIGHTS IN UGANDAN LAW  16
UNIT 3 ACCESS TO JUSTICE AS A HUMAN RIGHT AND REMEDY FOR RIGHTS VIOLATIONS  17

MODULE THREE: LAW AND ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE  20
UNIT 1 SOURCES OF LAW IN UGANDA  21
UNIT 2 THE JUDICIARY  22
UNIT 3 THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE POLICE  28
UNIT 4 THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE PRISONS  29

MODULE FOUR: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  32
UNIT 1 DEFINING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  34
UNIT 2 FACTORS THAT PERPETUATE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN  34
UNIT 3 NATIONAL LAWS APPLICABLE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  37
UNIT 4 PREVENTION AND REDRESS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  38

MODULE FIVE: CHILD NEGLECT  41
UNIT 1 CHILDREN AND NEGLECT  42
UNIT 2 LAWS APPLICABLE TO CHILD NEGLECT  44

MODULE SIX: DEFILEMENT  47
UNIT 1 DEFINING DEFILEMENT  48
UNIT 2 REDRESS FOR DEFILEMENT  49

MODULE SEVEN: CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW  52
UNIT 1 UNDERSTANDING JUVENILE JUSTICE  53
UNIT 2 JUVENILE JUSTICE IN UGANDA  54

MODULE EIGHT: LAND RIGHTS  58
UNIT 1 LAWS APPLICABLE TO LAND IN UGANDA  59
UNIT 2 FEATURES OF LAND IN BUNDIBUGYO  63
UNIT 3 WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO LAND  64

MODULE NINE: HOW TO CONDUCT A TRAINING  66
UNIT 1 COMMUNITY APPROACH AND MOBILIZING FOR TRAINING  67
UNIT 2 INITIAL STEPS TO TRAINING  68
UNIT 3 TRAINING METHODOLOGY  72
UNIT 4 LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRAINING  77
UNIT 5 EVALUATING A TRAINING  79
ANNEX 1    81
ANNEX 2   83
ANNEX 3   86
ANNEX 4   88
ANNEX 5   89