The UN Human Rights Office in Uganda in partnership with Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), supported the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) to conduct regional capacity-building trainings in Arua and Masindi Districts. The training equipped judicial, police, and prison officers, as well as state attorneys and lawyers with knowledge of the use of the Human Rights Enforcement Act (HREA) 2019, in the context of pre-trial detention.
The training aimed at strengthening the capacity of state law enforcement agencies, to integrate international human rights standards in the administration of criminal justice.
In his opening remarks, Mr Rashid Bunya, Project Coordinator of the Pre-Trial Detention Project, at ASF explained that the pre-trial detention project aims at fostering the protection and promotion of constitutional and procedural rights in the administration of justice with a focus on the situations of detention.
Dr. Fred Sekindi, Human Rights Officer at UN Human Rights Office in Uganda underscored the significance of the Human Rights Enforcement Act in promoting and protecting human rights, noting among other issues that the Act allows any person to institute court proceedings, including persons acting in representative capacity, class actions, and persons acting in the public interest.
Mr. Jashmin Kasujja, Human Rights Officer at Uganda Human Rights Commission, noted that both state and non-state actors are always required to observe international, regional, and national legal instruments that prohibit torture and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment.
In his presentation, Mr. George Musisi, a human rights lawyer encouraged state actors in the administration of criminal justice to always act within the perimeters of the law, cautioning that various laws impose individual liability on duty-bearers for human rights violations.
The trainings were attended by 44 participants (including 28 females and 16 males).
The participants noted the disconnect between the law and practice and vowed to use the knowledge acquired in carrying out their duties. The participants further cited resource limitations as the main cause of failure to promote and protect human rights. They requested for the rollout of the training across all regions in the country.