The Minister for Security and Veteran Affairs Adolf Mwesigye has underscored the need for parliament to enact the National legal Aid bill 2019 into law before the 10th parliament ends its term of operation.
The minister says this is an important bill because if it’s passed into law it will help the vulnerable and poor persons who cannot afford to access free lawyers before court.
The minister made the remarks, at the opening of an engagement meeting with members of parliament on the legal and parliamentary affairs committee, including members from the civil society Organizations.
The bill when passed into law will make it mandatory for the government to provide a lawyer to defend a vulnerable person who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer, to defend that vulnerable person before court.
The current law only mandates the government to provide free lawyers to persons who have committed capital offenses such as defilement and the said lawyer is provided at the time of trial that is before the high court.