Paralegal Reference Handbook

FHRI is fully committed to the promotion of human rights through Civic Empowerment and Civic Education. Civic Empowerment through the law ensures that mechanisms are put in place to utilize legal and quasi-legal redress of human rights violations through increased interaction with judicial officers and organs entrusted with the administration of justice. Through its long working experience with Paralegals, FHRI learnt that one of the principal needs of paralegals in the field is simple legal reference materials to consult, while advising clients. This led to the preparation of the Paralegal Reference Handbook. We have carefully developed this Paralegal Reference Handbook for use in the field by both our trainers and paralegals. Attempts are made to provide basic legal reference materials on topics and skills of most use to paralegals in their work. Some topics in the handbook will improve practical skills for paralegals in effective letter writing, drafting and executing of basic legal documents, organizing and mobilizing, lobbying techniques, mediating, negotiating, counselling and referral skills and approaches to effective human rights monitoring and reporting. The Handbook is printed in two languages - English and Luganda. For copies of the Paralegal Reference Handbook feel free to contact us.

Towards Abolition of the Death Penalty in Uganda

This is the first ever comprehensive and scholarly book that has been written specifically on the subject of the death penalty in Uganda. It encompasses a variety of subjects, including the international and regional standards on the death penalty, landmark judicial challenges to capital punishment as well as looking into the historical background of the death penalty in Uganda itself. Most profoundly, the book covers the landmark judgment from the Constitutional Petition challenging the death penalty in Uganda filed by the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) in 2003 and heard before the Constitutional Court in 2005. The book also places in context the work of the Civil Society Coalition on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Uganda which is spearheaded by FHRI.

Decentralized governance in Uganda, whose implementation started way back in 1993, transferred powers, functions and responsibilities to Local Governments. Hence, all Local Governments have power to make and implement development plans and budgets based on locally determined priorities. Decentralization also aimed to bring about people participation in the political and development process by enabling them to vote and recall their representatives and to engage in policy making and policy implementation activities.

However, several challenges still remain in achieving the noble aims and objectives of decentralized governance. The key challenge is that the majority of the people and their representatives are still ignorant of their rights in so far as the process of policy-making and implementation are concerned.

It is on the basis of such limitations that this Practice Guide was developed. It is a vital document whose purpose is to serve as a reference point that Local Governments and lower level Councils can use in their day-to-day activities. The Guide explores some of the ways in which Local Councils attempt to listen to the voices of the local people they are meant to serve. Specifically, the Guide covers the following pertinent topics that will go a long way in ensuring that the Councils and their representatives perform their roles in order to serve their respective communities better: Policy Formulation in Local Government, Legislation in the Local Councils, Local Government in a Multiparty setting, Good Governance and Public Accountability, Financial Management in Local Governments, Budgeting in the Local Government and Respects for Human Rights and State compliance within the Local Government context.

The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative together with Members of Parliament namely Hon. Peter Nyombi, Hon. William Okecho, Hon. James Kubeketerya and Hon. Norman Muwulize, supported by funding from Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), United Kingdom is pleased to have undertaken the study on Decentralized Governance in four districts, namely Mukono, Tororo, Mayuge and Nakasongola which has culminated in the production of this Practice Guide with the sole purpose of improving on the process of decentralization in the country. I hope this booklet will go a long way in aiding all practitioners in the day-to-day management of their respective Councils.

Community Based Human Rights Guide

Building democratic institutions that are a cornerstone to democratic governance requires as an informed, assertive and knowledgeable civil society. Uganda is currently in a transition to democracy after two decades of single party rule.

Ensuring that the citizenry understand their rights, duties and obligations in a multi-party political setting is key to the demand for political and public accountability. The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) has for the last 15 years worked for effective human rights protection and finds it noble to publish a training Guide for activists, community based groups, policy makers who may want in a very simplified version to introduce basic human rights, concepts to members of their community.

The scope of knowledge and issues covered in this Guide will be useful to readers and users in enhancing their understanding and application of these basic norms. I therefore recommend this Guide to all those in search of knowledge in this field to read, use and take advantage of this wealth of information in advancing the cause of democracy in Uganda and beyond.