Senior Legal Officer

Vacancy name:  Senior Legal Officer

Region: Uganda

Hours: 40hrs a week

Reports to: Country Advocate in-charge

Responsible for: Legal Officer, Assistant legal officers, Court Clerk and

paralegals

Positions: 1

Application Deadline: 3rd April, 2024

ABOUT JUSTICE DEFENDERS

Picture this: an overcrowded and under-resourced prison full of men, women, or even children who have not been found guilty. This is the case for three million people around the world currently affected by the excessive use of pre-trial detention.

In many countries, suspects are detained in prison almost automatically once they are arrested. Whatever the offence. Some, yes, are guilty. Many are poor and unjustly targeted. At Justice Defenders, we want to see justice served; it’s vital for all of us. What we don’t want to see is people filling our prisons simply because there was no one to equip them to fight for justice.

Justice Defenders is a registered UK charity and US nonprofit. Founded in 2007, we work across Africa, training incarcerated people and prison officers to become paralegals. Our 35 prison-based legal offices in Uganda, Kenya and The Gambia are run by more than 300 paralegals. By equipping justice defenders to facilitate a just legal process, we help ensure a fair hearing at the point of greatest need. As everyone deserves the right to tell their story.

JOB CONTEXT

The Justice Defenders Uganda office is  looking for a Senior Legal Officer. He/she is responsible for implementing the organisation’s strategic initiatives in legal practice delivery. This includes ensuring that the operations are effective and efficient, activities are managed well, and the model is easily transferable from prison to prison.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Supervision and Management

• Provide leadership and guidance on case management in the clinic.
• Responsible for implementing relevant policies and documents to guide the

operation of the legal office offices.

• Undertake regular visits to the legal office offices to understand the ground

situation and take necessary actions to improve project implementation.

• Support the Country Advocate in-charge in creating training materials and

manuals and plan and lead in conducting necessary training and workshops

required to efficiently and effectively implement activities in the Legal

practice.

• Ensure that constant supervision maintains and develops paralegal delivery

standards and quality.

• Ensure all staff work within the prison rules, JD policies, and procedures.
• Manage the resources supplied to the office, doing frequent accountability

and reporting.

• Be the technical lead responsible for establishing the structures required for

the smooth operation of their respective offices in the prison,

• Provide guidance and actionable recommendations to the practice team.
• Ensure efficient operation and timely implementation of various planned

activities and fulfil the department's management requirements.

• Coordinate and manage the implementation of Donor-funded projects.
• Prepare and submit periodic reports to the Country Advocate in-charge
• Any other duties assigned by the Country Advocate in-charge

1. Court Representation:

• Represent a number of clients in court as agreed with the Advocate In-

Charge.

• Compile and prepare legal documents
• Interview and counsel clients
• Offer Legal advice to Justice Defenders, handle and follow up on any court

cases involving JD.

3. Research

• Lead in carrying out research to understand the current situation, including

the prevailing challenges in accessing justice in the project sites;

recommend changes and improvements; work with key influencers in the

prison service and in the community to inform the design of relevant

interventions to address identified gaps.

• Identify and coordinate new developments, such as those relating to the

legal offices, models of delivery and partnership working, through regular

review and investigation of new opportunities.

1. Networking & Stakeholder Management

• Represent the organisation as an advocate of its ethos, mission, core values

and aims at National and international fora and media events, with the aim

of providing a first-hand account of the charity’s Work and achievements.

• Engage in appropriate committees, working groups and other activities to

maintain strong and productive external networks and ensure proper

stakeholder management.

• Any other duties as assigned by the Country Advocate In-Charge

YOUR PROFILE

Qualifications and experience 

• Degree in law with a postgraduate diploma in Legal Practice and a valid practicing

certificate

• At least 3 years of criminal law practice and Programme leadership and

management experience of at least 3 years in a complex organisation, ideally NGO.

• Experience of managing a major donor-funded project.
• Qualifications in project management and or program management with directly

relevant experience and tools, as well as proposal drafting and report drafting.

• Sympathy for and a non-judgmental attitude towards prisoners undertaking

reform and rehabilitation.

• Leadership/mentorship skills.
• Willingness to work in resource-limited settings.
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English.
• Proven problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Flexibility and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Experience of conducting needs assessments and project development.
• Experience in managing people or teams.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions in an isolated area with basic living

conditions.

• Good team-worker and able to live and work closely with a small team.
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from

different functions and cultures.

• Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritizing a high workload

and multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.

• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office packages.
• Ability and willingness to undertake frequent travel to field sites.
• An understanding of and commitment to JD’s mission and values.
• Planning and Time Management: able to prioritize tasks, manage time and tight

schedules, work effectively under pressure, and assist direct reports with

prioritization of tasks and meeting deadlines.

Key competencies and abilities

• Excellent communication skills oral and report writing
• Excellent interpersonal & networking skills;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work under pressure and to make informed and accurate decisions
• Focused and goal oriented
• Flexibility, openness and broad – mindedness
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify JDs’ values on Bravery, Humility & Solidarity.

We especially encourage applications from those who have been in prison, were the recipient of free school meals, or are from the first generation of their family to attend university and from those who consider themselves to be part of minority groups.

Like to apply?

Applications should be received by the stipulated deadline.