Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET)
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Coordinates: 0°18′50″N 32°33′26″E / 0.313886830628651°N 32.557132634870186°E
 Legal Aid Service Providers Network | |
| Abbreviation | LASPNET |
|---|---|
| Motto | A free and Just Society |
| Formation | 2001 |
| Type | Non Governmental Organization |
| Purpose | Ensuring Access for Justice for all |
| Headquarters | Plot 10, Block 75 off Balintuma Road, Mengo. After MRI center |
| Location |
|
Membership | 54 |
Official language | English |
Chief Executive Officer | Dr. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa |
Director of Programs | Mr Badru Walusansa |
Director of Finance and Administration (Ag) | Mr. Geoffrey Lutaaya |
Main organ | General Assembly |
| Website | www |
The Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) is a membership non-governmental organization whose mission is to provide a platform for effective networking and collaboration to enhance legal aid service delivery and access to justice for the most vulnerable and marginalized people in Uganda through strengthening the capacity of member organizations.[1]
Structure and Management[edit]
LASPNET is governed by three organs namely: The General Assembly, the Board of Directors, and the Secretariat. The board of directors reports annually to member organizations at the General Assembly. The secretariat is the implementing arm of the organization. Working closely with the board of directors, the Chief Executive Officer manages the day-to-day operations of the organization.
History[edit]
LASPNET was conceived in early 2001 as a loose coalition to steer involvement of the private sector players in addressing challenges experienced by poor, vulnerable and marginalized population in accessing justice. In April 2004, the Network was formally registered as a company limited by guarantee to promote access to justice in close working relationship with the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS)[2] and through support from the Legal Aid Basket Fund[3] (LABF).
At inception, the network was composed of a few legal aid service providers who included the Law Development Centre Legal Aid Clinic[4] (LAC), Public Defender Association of Uganda[5] (PDAU), the Uganda Gender Resource Center[6] (UGRC), Foundation for Human Rights Initiative[7] (FHRI), the Legal Aid Project of the Uganda Law Society (LAP), and the Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA)[8]. The membership has grown to over 54 member organizations across 80 districts in Uganda.
LASPNET is clustered into six thematic areas which engage members in programme activities. Each member is attached to a different cluster although they may take part in other activities of a different cluster. The clusters include; Criminal Justice cluster, Child Justice Cluster, Social Justice Cluster, Traditional cluster, Land Justice Cluster and Gender Cluster.
LASPNET is also composed of three working groups – technical/access to justice concerns, institutional development matters, and crosscutting issues. These groups are comprised of centers of excellence. Every working group has a representative from each thematic cluster. The working groups assess the recommendations of the thematic clusters to inform priority actions. The decisions taken at these meetings are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Mandate[edit]
LASPNET’s mandate is to strengthen coordination and networking of Legal Aid Service Providers (LASPs), harmonize and standardize legal aid services provision by the different service providers, lobbying and advocacy for facilitating a favorable legal and policy environment.
Vision and Objectives[edit]
Vision. A free and just society.
Mission To provide a platform for effective networking and collaboration to enhance legal aid service delivery.
As stipulated in the organization’s Five Year Strategic Plan (July 2015 – June 2020), the following are the objectives:
- Strengthen advocacy for supportive enacting and implementation of legal aid harmonized legal and policy framework.
- Promote research and knowledge management to support evidence-based programming and advocacy for legal aid and access to justice.
- Enhance networking and coordination of LASPs through promoting professional standards, collective voice and advancing the legal aid and access to justice agendas.
- Strengthen the institutional development of LASPNET through effective and efficient functional organizational systems that provide sustainability.
Key focus program areas[edit]
LASPNET has four key program areas which fall under the following categories:
- Advocacy: LASPNET facilitates collective advocacy through analyzing government policies relating to legal aid and access to justice to ensure the indigent and marginalized are protected at all decision making levels as well as demonstrate linkages and importance of legal aid to the broader development agenda[9].
- Networking and Coordination: LASPNET strengthens linkages with both State and non-state actors in Uganda that are well grounded in the norms and best practices in legal aid and promote rule of law and access to justice[10][11][12]
- Research and Knowledge Management: LASPNET conducts research and publishes case studies to inform policy and influence policy and decision makers[13].[14]
- Strengthening Institutional Capacity Development: This involves: skills and programmes based trainings on a quarterly basis in order to further enhance their human resource in providing quality, professional, timely legal aid services and ultimately complementing government in enhancing access to justice for all through the provision of legal aid services.
Financing[edit]
LASPNET’s financing is mainly by development partners who currently include the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF)[15] which has funded LASPNET since its inception. The organization has seen an increase of Development partners to eleven (11) by the end of 2020 that include; United Nations Development Program (UNDP)[16], OXFAM - Voice[17], Action Aid Uganda, International Center for not-for- Profit Law (ICNL), CORDAID, International Development Law Organization (IDLO)[18] , USAID, European Union[14]; Freedom House[19], Australian Development Agency (ADA)
References[edit]
- ↑ "Devex". Devex. Retrieved 2021-09-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The Justice, Law and Order Sector - Government of the Republic of Uganda". www.jlos.go.ug. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Austrian Development Agency". www.entwicklung.at (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Legal Aid Clinic | Law Development Centre". www.ldc.ac.ug. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "The Public Defender Association Of Uganda". infoug.com. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Uganda Gender Resource Center (UGRC)". Commonwealth of Nations. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "FHRI : Foundation for Human Rights Initiative - enhancing respect and observance of human rights and civic values in Uganda, Africa". www.fhri.or.ug. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "FIDA". fidauganda.org. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ pnabyama (2020-09-11). "Lawyers court Speaker Kadaga over delayed National Legal Aid Bill". www.parliament.go.ug. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Legal Aid Providers Network (LASPNET)". Namati. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "LASPNET to hold Legal Aid Innovations Conference". www.jlos.go.ug. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "EOC ENTERS PARTNERSHIP WITH LASPNET TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE INDIGENT". Equal Opportunities Commission. Retrieved 2021-09-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Ugandans Losing Confidence in Judicial System - LASPNET". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Independent, The (2021-08-23). "LASPNET launches campaign to combat increasing GBV cases". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) | Democratic Governance Facility". www.dgf.ug. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Spotlight Initiative: Demystifying the Judicial System | UNDP in Uganda". UNDP. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Sharing Voice stories & experiences: a toolkit from Uganda!". voice.global. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "UGANDA: Supporting Legal Aid Service Providers (LASPs) to Enhance Access to Justice for the Poor, Vulnerable and Marginalized in Uganda". IDLO - International Development Law Organization. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Advancing Security and Human Rights in Uganda". Freedom House. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
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