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