Associates for Change/Human Rights Commission (Kampala, Uganda)
For the past 7 weeks, I have been working in Kampala, Uganda at the Uganda Human Rights Commission's Legal and Tribunal Department. I am here as part of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law International Human Rights Program. My work at the Commission has consisted primarily of doing research on international law in the areas of torture, property, and liberty. The Commission is a government body designed to assist individuals whose basic human rights have been violated within the country. Most of the cases brought forward are of persons detained by the Uganda Police Defence Force (UPDF) or the Violent Crimes Crack Down Units (VCCU) and tortured in what are referred to as 'safe houses' (they are so called because no one has a right to access individuals detained in these houses). The reasons for detention vary from petty crime to political motivation. Once the complainants come forward, it is the Commission's duty to investigate all the allegations and, if there is any substantial evidence of a violation, bring the case forward for Tribunal hearing. There are a group of Commissioners, appointed by the President, who sit at Tribunal and hear each case. They are functionally a court and their decisions are binding, subject to judicial appeal.
My work has included meeting with clients, reviewing the evidence gathered, and writing memos on cases that are headed for Tribunal. One of the projects I have been working on is developing a database of international treaties and case law relating to torture, of which a print copy can be kept on hand at all time for the legal staff to refer to in their memos and submissions. The Commissioners have been dissatisfied with the level of research handed over to them in the past, because it has all been drawn from the limited library resources here, most of which consists of the Commission's own previous decisions. By coordinating with the Faculty of Law library staff I have been able to get print copies of decisions and documents which the Commission could not previously access. The law library staff have been tremendously helpful, and I owe them a great deal of gratitude. They have provided me with much of the necessary research, which I have then compiled, written summaries of, and made sample memos with.
My work at the Commission has been at times difficult, but generally very rewarding. The challenge of working with a very troubled client base, under extreme constraints, and with very limited resources was something I expected. However, the rewards of this experience have often taken me by surprise. I am greatly enjoying my internship and expect that the remainder of my time here will continue to be both fruitful and educational.
