iPeace sues Uganda for denying lawyers trained in Rwanda from enrolling and practicing

An NGO of Africa, Initiatives for Peace and Human Rights has dragged Uganda to a regional court for denying lawyers trained in Rwanda from enrolling and practicing in Uganda, according to a news report by The NewTimes.

The Initiatives for Peace and Human Rights (iPeace), a Rwanda-registered Non-Governmental Organization on July 1 has notified the Attorney General of Uganda about a case it filed before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against the Attorney General of Uganda for denying lawyers trained in Rwanda from enrolling and practicing law in Uganda.

@iPeace_GL drags Uganda before the East African Court (@EACJCourt) for denying lawyers trained in Rwanda from enrolling and practicing in Uganda. https://t.co/DO16INtNYG pic.twitter.com/GidauuKim1

— iPeace (@iPeace_GL) July 1, 2020

According to iPeace, this case stems from the decision rendered by the High Court of Uganda on May 13 where Andrew Bataamwe was ruled ineligible for enrolment as an advocate in Uganda because he holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Rwanda, considered as a country practicing civil law system.

For iPeace, this case is filed within its public interest litigation framework that the organization uses to advance human rights and equality or raise issues of broad public concern.

The NGO observes that the implementation of the EAC Treaty and its protocols has encountered resistance from the Partner States for a while following tensions between some of them.