The Law Development Centre (LDC) is considering starting an in-depth evaluation of the pre-entry examination.
The aim of the evaluation is to asses whether it is serving its intended purpose of quality control at admission. Speaking at the 44th LDC graduation ceremony on Friday last week, LDC Director Frank Nigel Othembi said the institution is aware of concerns from various stakeholders regarding the challenges with the examination.
“Ideally, if pre-entry is supposed to bring us the best students and when they come here [they] still fail the bar course, we ask ourselves whether pre-entry is giving us the best of the best,” Othembi said.
Any student intending to pursue a postgraduate bar course to become an advocate is subjected to a one-day pre-entry examination by the Law Council, as a prerequisite for joining LDC.
As a member of the Law Council, which regulates the law profession, Othembi assured The Observer that “they will definitely start the pre-entry discussion to see how they can improve the exam.
At least 152 bar course students failed to make this year’s graduation. This is after they failed both their final and supplementary (retake) exams. On Friday, the LDC awarded 222 students with diplomas in legal practice, diploma in law (436) and 37 got diplomas in human rights.
Francis Gimara, the president of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), cautioned the bar course graduands to refrain from corruption tendencies that have infiltrated courts of law.
“We request you to remain virgins of professional intergrity as you join this noble field. Your lot should leave a legacy in courts that this nation will cherish forever,” Gimara said.
His remarks were reiterated by the attorney general, William Byaruhanga, who was chief guest at the ceremony.
“You are graduating at a time when the country is suffering a major ethical deficit and you should work towards moral aptitude while in the field,” Byaruhanga said.
Meanwhile, students who excelled from the three courses were awarded by various law firms, LDC, ULS, the principal judge, the attorney general and the minister for public service.
The students also recognised Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura with a lifetime achievement award for his role in supporting and addressing their concerns in the guild consortium.
nangonzi@observer.ug