Civil Society's Capacity to Engage in Justice Reforms in Uganda

Uganda has seen serious reforms in the Justice sector in the last few years. A sectorwide approach has been adopted as a way of coordinating the various stakeholders involved in the justice sector for more effective administration of justice. The main goal of this approach is to ensure that all people have access to justice. The role of civil society has been acknowledged since it contributes a lot in the justice sector. Some organizations complement government's efforts by actually providing legal aid services and thus ensuring that some poor people have access to justice and by using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, these organizations also help to reduce the case back log in the formal court system.

Given the immensely vital role played by civil society in justice, it is very clear that it is a big part of the system and thus should be part of the reforms in the system. Plans have been made and at local level, some relevant organizations have been involved in reforms. The challenge however is, "How do we get to a level where civil society can effectively engage with government and go on to hold government to account?" If anythingm, is such a scenario possible considering the historical background of civil society in Uganda? What are the weaknesses of Civil Society Organisations? What challenges are they faced with and how can they be helped?