The management committee of LDC
The Director Law Development Centre
Members of the Administration
Families and friends of the graduates,
Our Graduates
Ladies and Gentlemen in your respective capacities
Good morning/afternoon
Happy New Year
First of all, I want to thank the Management Committee of Law Development Centre and especially the Director, Dr. Pamela Tibihikirra Kalyegira for inviting me to officiate on this important day. I happen to know Dr. Kalyegira and we work together under the Administration of Justice Programme, where I chair the Programme Working Group (PWG). She has played a critical role in the development of the Programme by ensuring that all the activities of Law Development Centre are aligned to the Administration of Justice Programme. I want to thank her for promoting collaboration among justice institutions.
As we gather here today to celebrate the academic success of our children, brothers, sisters, spouses and workmates who are walking out of the gate with Diplomas in Law, Diplomas in Human Rights, and Certificates in Administrative Law. I feel a lot of nostalgia, recalling the many years back when I too did my Administrative Officer’s Law course at LDC, and hence becoming an alma mater of this great institution.
LDC is a very important stakeholder in Uganda’s justice system. The success of the Administration of Justice in Uganda partly depends on having skilled, ethical and legal professionals and LDC plays an important role in developing the skills, ethics, and preparedness of all new legal professionals entering the justice system. The beneficiaries include; the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution and the entire Government.
I congratulate all of you who have made it to the graduation list. Today, you are earning more than simply a certificate or diploma; you have been empowered to go out there and compete. I want to thank the parents, guardians and spouses who have made this happen through their financial and social support.
Under today’s theme, “Empowered to Build a Justice-Centred Uganda,” your role is critical in the society. There is an endless quest for social justice. In many places, people are being evicted from their land. In other localities, single mothers struggle with child support and maintenance. In other communities, orphans and widows are facing threats of losing their inheritance to unscrupulous land grabbers.
Our theme, therefore, resonates well with the courses you have studied at LDC and their long-tested relevance in addressing the social injustices in society. So, regardless of the specific course you have studied at LDC, and notwithstanding the limitations on your right to legal practice, the rigorous training has empowered you with sufficient legal knowledge and the competence to be vanguards of the right to equality before the law and fair justice.
It is my firm expectation that you will be willing to render paralegal services to those in search of social justice by quickly intervening to advise the public on their rights, participate in mediation sessions, and diffuse social tension in society.
For the Administrators, Administrative Law is the law that supports government activities. A long time ago, I was a student of Administrative Law here. What I learnt has helped me to be who I am today. I have more than 40 years working experience in Administration and Management.
- My work life started from my home district of Kisoro as Assistant District Commissioner and after I was transferred to Mbale in 1984.
- I later served as an Assistant Secretary/Personal Assistant to the Minister of Justice/Attorney General.
- I was promoted to the rank of Senior Assistant Secretary and was transferred to the Ministry of Local Government, then later promoted to Principal Assistant Secretary in the Office of the President.
- I was promoted to Under Secretary and worked in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Public Service, and Ministry of Health.
- In October 2008, I was appointed Permanent Secretary posted to the Office of the Prime Minister where i served for five years. I was transferred to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development where I served for six years as PS for. In July 2019, I was transferred to the Judiciary where I am currently the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary.
As Administrators, we are duty bound to deliver timely government services to the people. Therefore, the rigorous training has empowered you with sufficient knowledge and the competence to make informed decisions. As you leave LDC, you can frame your future in four essential ways that can probably guide your journey.
- First, be HINDSIGHTED.
- Second, be INSIGHTED.
- Third, be FORESIGHTED.
- Fourth, be FARSIGHTED.
HINDSIGHTED
In short it means to “Look back”. By looking back is the first step towards reform. Effective legal reform or policymaking require an accurate diagnosis of what has not worked. Whether you are drafting new law or administrative reform, your proposals will be stronger and more persuasive if they are rooted in a clear understanding of past failures and successes.
Being hindsighted as a person is fundamental to living a meaningful and resilient life. You honestly review your choices, reactions and failures. It allows you to ask: Why did I react the way I did? What truly motivated the decision I made? What patterns keep re-occurring in my life? You cannot understand who you are or decide who you want to become without understanding where you’ve been.
INSIGHTED
Being insighted as a person means cultivating deep self-awareness and perceptive understanding. It extends outward as emotional intelligence. While qualifications and technical skills may get you hired, emotional intelligence determines how effectively you apply your qualifications and skills to navigate workplace dynamics. It is a period of deep reflection, introspect.
Therefore, without insight, you might chase goals set by others. Insight helps you determine what truly matters to you.
FORESIGHTED
To be “foresighted” is to look ahead. Being foresighted is not about predicting a future, but shaping it. For example, you ask yourself, “Where do I want to be in 5 years? Where do we want LDC to be in 10 years? What person do I wish to become?” Therefore, every decision or choice matters.
For example, Digital transformation, artificial intelligence is inevitable and delaying it will only widen service delivery gaps. So, what is the Judiciary doing? We have introduced the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), a fully-featured system that automates & tracks all aspects of a case life cycle from initial filing through disposition & appeal as to each individual party for any case type.
We want to have paperless case management after a case is filed. From automatic allocation of the case to hearing, delivery of the judgment, execution, closure and finally archiving in the system. Fines, filing fees, bail and deposit transactions can all be paid online via mobile money, Visa, or EFT, among other options. In the near future, filing in all courts will be electronic. You have been empowered, use the knowledge to build better systems in the places of work.
The judiciary is also applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) into case management, such as the judgment writing tool, automated court recording and transcription, and legal research.
FARSIGHTED
This is like foresighted but this time it is about having a long-term dream, vision, and thinking ahead. It is about zooming into the future. “Will the decision you make align with who you want to be in 20 years”.
CONCLUSION
To succeed in all of this, you must prioritise self-discipline, be men and women of integrity, good time managers, right attitude, sincerity, resilience, patience, respect for seniority, be eager to learn and be ready to accept corrections from your supervisors. Always remember that education without virtue is useless. Do not speak the language of justice when you are the symbol and architect of injustice. You must always walk the talk.
Thank you for listening!
Pius Bigirimana, PhD (hc)
PERMANENT SECRETARY/SECRETARY TO THE JUDICIARY
