The
Ministry's name was changed from the Ministry of Justice
to "Ministry of Justice
and Constitutional Affairs". The name
of the Ministry was changed to reflect the need to
handle constitutional amendments as and when they
arise.
This change of name was occasioned by the promulgation
of the (1995) constitution, the enactment of the 1997
Local Government Act and the introduction of the Result
Oriented Management and Output Oriented Budgeting.
Mandate
Of The Ministry
“To
promote and facilitate effective and efficient machinery
capable of providing a legal framework for good governance
and delivering legal advice and services to the Government,
it’s allied institutions and the general public”.
Functions
of the Ministry
In fulfilling the above mandate, the Ministry
performs the following functions;
•
Co-ordinating, advising on, providing support and
developing working modules for the formulation and
implementation of policies, which will foster the
effective administration of law and justice as well
as constitutional governance;
•
Facilitating the development and enactment of appropriate
legislation:
•
Initiating and facilitating the revision and reform
of the laws of Uganda and providing an effective mechanism
for their change;
•
Advising the government and its allied institutions
on all legal matters;
•
Drafting all proposed laws and legal documents;
•
Instituting or defending civil suits in which Government
and/or its allied institutions are party and ensuring
that court decisions are satisfied;
•
Overseeing the training of Lawyers;
•
Promoting and fostering adherence to the rule of law
and natural justice;
•
Controlling legal practice in the country;
•
Disseminating legal information to the public
•
Liasing and working with institutions which seek to
eradicate corruption
•
Promoting legal advice of the constitution
Key
outputs
•
Civil proceedings instituted by or against Government
or any other relevant body acted upon
• Appearance before Human rights and other Tribunals
made
• Recommendation on reform of Civil Practice
made
• Advice on litigation matters tendered
• Bills drafted
• Statutory instruments, Legal Notices, Parliamentary
Resolutions, Ordinances and Byelaws from Local Governments
drafted
• Advocates Law firms within the Country inspected
and certificates of approval issued
• Disciplinary proceedings against indisciplined
Advocates concluded
• Advice and recommendation to Government on
matters relating to the profession of Advocates tendered
• Legal Advice to Ministries, Government related
bodies, Parastatals, Local Governments and Commissions
tendered
• Draft contracts, Agreements, treaties, conventions
and other legal documents prepared
• Estates of deceased persons managed and distributed
• Court cases instituted by or against Administrator
General defended
• Companies, Patents, Trademarks, Births, Marriages,
Deaths registered and duties of the Official Receiver
undertaken
• Ministry’s Budget estimates for Revenue
and Expenditure completed
• Ministry’s Annual Performance Plan completed
• Court awards and compensations made
Structure
The
Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs is
organised and structured on the basis of the directorates,
one service Department and three semi-autonomous departments
