Uganda Law Society blasts Prof Nawangwe for recommending the shutdown of Law School

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) the umbrella organization for legal advocates in the nation has ridiculed the Makerere University vice chancellor and management for recommending the shutdown of the School of Law, requiring that all members of staff hand over university property and to send the students home.

Following the vice chancellor’s suspension of MUASA chairman Dr. Deus Kamunyu and other administrative staff union leaders, the associations declared a strike and their members withdrew their labor.
Following the impasse that resulted thereon, a team of about 25 academic staff at the School of Law wrote a legal opinion to the VC advising that his actions were outside the powers conferred to him by statute.

In the exchange of letters that ensued later on, the Principal School of Law, Assoc. Prof. Christopher Mbaziira wrote to the VC communicating that the staff were bound by decisions of their association and would not go to teach unless their association decides to. It is in response to the above developments that the VC made the recommendation to the University Council to shut down the School of Law.

The President of ULS, Simon Peter Kinobe wrote a statement supporting the law dons for their brave stance and equally criticising the VC for illegally and unfairly using his power.
“Members of staff at Makerere enjoy various rights to engage in industrial action under both the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the labor laws of this country,” Kinobe wrote.

He also noted that the same Constitution protects the rights of the students to education and that while the strike subsists the future of 40,000 students stands in the balance. “This is very unfortunate,” he added.

On behalf of the ULS, he commended the members of staff at the School of Law for stepping up to offer guidance to the university administration on the legal issues surrounding the impasse and noted that since the School continues to train and influence the legal profession in Africa, it would be both illegal and high-handed to shut down it down because members exercised their rights in law and offered guidance in a time of crisis.

He ended by warning that should the situation escalate, the ULS will not hesitate to stand with any stakeholder who is treated unfairly or illegally.
The ULS is the body that unites all lawyers in the nation and has thousands of lawyers subscribing to it. A statement from them at such a time is timely and does so much to back the lecturers legal stance on the matters affecting the university.