Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 29 September 2026
Uganda’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Jan Beagle, Director-General of the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.
The Honourable Minister was accompanied by Hon. Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, Principal Judge of the Courts of Judicature of Uganda; Hon. Lino Anguzu, Director of Public Prosecutions; H.E. Amb. Aisa Ismail, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of the Uganda Consulate in Dubai; and Ms. Rachel Odoi-Musoke, Senior Technical Advisor and Head of the Governance and Security Programme (JLOS) Secretariat at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Hon. Norbert Mao commended IDLO for its contribution to Uganda’s justice reform agenda, particularly its support for reducing the case backlog, expanding access to legal aid and strengthening the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
Both the Minister and the Director General highlighted opportunities to deepen cooperation to develop and empower lawyers and justice practitioners, including exposure to international experience and benchmarking. The Minister called for digitising justice services and extending digital court services beyond urban centres to rural courts, ensuring technology supports broader and more equitable access to justice.
Hon. Mao emphasised shifting from project-based to sustainable justice reforms by embedding successful initiatives within institutions for lasting impact. He urged IDLO to leverage its global influence to boost African involvement in justice and rule-of-law conferences in Uganda, promoting experience sharing, networking, and practical solutions for justice challenges.
Ms. Beagle reaffirmed Uganda’s strong partnership with IDLO. Since 2018, IDLO has been operating the Community Justice Programme (CJP) in Uganda and is currently implementing the Supporting Access to Justice for Sustainable Development in Uganda (AJSD) initiative (2024-2026). These programmes involve collaboration with government and non-state actors to improve the accessibility, quality, and sustainability of justice services, particularly for rural, vulnerable, and marginalised communities.
The bilateral meeting concluded with a shared interest in building on the existing Uganda–IDLO partnership and in identifying practical areas for continued cooperation to strengthen accessible, efficient, sustainable and people-centred justice delivery in Uganda.
#
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Communications and Public Relations Office
Governance and Security Programme (JLOS)
Secretariat Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Kampala, Uganda
Email: [email protected]