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MPs Advocate for Law as a Second Degree to Boost Legal Profession Quality
Concerns over the quality of legal training in Uganda have prompted Members of Parliament on the Legal Committee to urge the government to consider making Law a second degree.
The proposal was put forth during a recent interface with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as the committee reviewed the ministry’s 2025/26 policy statement.
Leading the charge, Hon. Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County) argued that admitting only graduates from other disciplines into Law programs would produce more specialized and competent legal professionals.
He illustrated his point by suggesting that a lawyer with a background in architecture or medicine would be better equipped to handle legal disputes in those specific fields compared to a lawyer with only a secondary school education.
“Isn’t it time that we have Law offered as a second degree? Because one, it will have better lawyers,” Hon. Katuntu asserted. “If somebody has got another qualification, and then in addition he becomes a lawyer, if there is any consultants, take for example, Bachelor of Commerce, and that sort of fellow becomes a lawyer, and we are talking about investment, he would be a better investment advisor than this sort of senior six trained lawyer.”
Hon. Katuntu also highlighted the growing number of law schools and graduates, questioning the overall quality of legal training. “Any lawyer will tell you that we have a challenge with the quality of legal training. There are so many law schools now, at many universities, churning out hundreds of young people as lawyers. LDC is also having a problem or a challenge to absorb them, but even those whom we are pushing out, something is missing,” he stated.
Echoing these concerns, Hon. Adeke Anna (Soroti DWR) pressed the Ministry of Justice on its capacity to regulate the increasing influx of law graduates joining the Law Development Centre (LDC) for their postgraduate diploma in legal practice.
Adeke Anna questioned, “I want to know, how you, as the regulator, are managing the influx of young law graduates joining LDC. Every passing year, the number increases. Next academic year, they could be 4,000 to 5,000 with all the law schools that you have allowed to carry out this programme, the law teaching, and now LDC as the single entity that is training for that diploma in legal practice. Is the quality of the advocates still a concern for you as the regulator? And are you aware how overwhelmed LDC is presently, despite the efforts of decentralising, increasing intakes, vis-à-vis the number, they are very overwhelmed.”
The MPs emphasized that other jurisdictions have successfully implemented similar systems, resulting in a more specialized and effective legal fraternity. They urged the government to “think outside the box” and consider this proposal as a way to improve the legal profession in Uganda.
The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs is yet to respond to the specific proposal, but the concerns raised by the Legal Committee highlight a growing debate within the legal fraternity about the standards of legal education and the capacity of the LDC to adequately train the burgeoning number of law graduates.
The outcome of this discussion could significantly reshape the future of legal training and the quality of legal services in Uganda.
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