Entry Level Paralegal Officer Jobs – African Prisons Project (APP)
Organisation: African Prisons Project (APP)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About US:
The African Prisons Project (APP) is a community of people passionately committed to bringing dignity, hope and justice to men, women and children in African prisons, ensuring equitable access to justice, health and education. Our 2020 strategy focuses on developing change makers amongst prison staff and inmates who use the law to bring justice to the most vulnerable in society; to begin assembling world-class law teachers, law makers and practitioners to aid the training and development of our people; and to plan our expansion as we look to establish ourselves as a social enterprise, offering legal education and legal services in Africa and beyond. APP has a Christian ethos which leads us to serve all regardless of their religion, background, offence, sentence, race, gender or any other factor. We believe every person’s life is fundamentally valuable; our past need not define our future. We are inspired by Jesus’ example of bringing justice and compassion to those rejected by society and seeing great value in those that others have written off.
Job Summary: The Paralegal Officer will ensure that vulnerable persons in incarceration have access to advice and information about their legal rights and the opportunity to seek redress. The incumbent will use the evidence gathered from the work of the Auxiliary Paralegals to inform the relevant government bodies about the impact of laws and policies and to make recommendations for improvement.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Advise and offer counselling to persons in incarceration on the law especially the criminal justice system, making referrals to lawyers when necessary;
- Coordinate activities of the legal aid clinics in prisons and distribute awareness raising materials to educate the public on human rights, Uganda’s laws and how to navigate the criminal justice system;
- Follow up of cases on behalf of persons under incarceration in prison from among state and non-state actors in the justice system;
- Screen remand prisoners, juveniles and women, and other persons in conflict with the law, in places of custody and carry out a prisons census;
- Trace and orient witnesses, relatives, parents/guardians and those who have stood as sureties, of persons in incarceration;
- Assist in organising and managing coordination meetings for relevant justice sector institutions.
- Record cases supported by the Legal Aid Clinic into the Organisation’s database
- Any other tasks given by APP’s Legal Aid Officer and Justice Change Maker Services Manager.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant must hold a Bachelor of Laws from a recognised University in Uganda.
- Diploma in law from the Law Development Centre.
- Ability and willingness to travel within Uganda.
- Desire and demonstrated passion to assist the vulnerable;
- Experience working with vulnerable populations and people in need;
- Knowledge of Uganda’s law and criminal justice system.
- Excellent analytical skills;
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
- Proven ability to communicate legal matters in a clear and concise manner to non-legal colleagues;
- Self-motivated and ability to prioritise and handle various projects in a highly challenging environment;
- Ability to be self-servicing, including work processing skills, and to work flexibly in a small multi-disciplinary team;
- Fluency in English with excellent writing and speaking skills;
- Computer literate with proficiency in MS Word, Outlook, and advanced Excel.
- Mature, faithful and professional approach to the task and the team;
- Have the highest level of integrity and standard of excellence;
- Demonstrable servant leadership qualities;
- Work relationally and collaboratively with teammates and stakeholders;
- Be self-aware, be comfortable with vulnerability and remain resilient;
- Personal values align with African Prisons Project’s mission, values, and goals;
- Be creative, adaptable, take initiative and be comfortable with risk;
- Be comfortable working in an organisation whose approach to bringing justice and compassion is inspired by Jesus.
How to Apply:
Please send all applications and queries to info@africanprisons.org
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