Justice Madrama defends Law Development Centre standards

Justice Christopher Izama Madrama, the outgoing Chairperson of the Law Development Centre (LDC) Management Committee, has strongly defended the institution's rigorous academic standards. Speaking at the LDC's 53rd graduation ceremony, where 1,563 students received their Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Madrama asserted that these high standards are crucial for safeguarding the integrity of Uganda's legal profession.

Madrama cautioned against succumbing to public pressure to lower these standards. He stressed that the LDC must maintain its role as a "crucible of excellence" and warned that any relaxation of the Bar Course examination system would erode public trust in legal practitioners. He highlighted that the public relies on the LDC to certify that graduates possess the necessary competence to handle critical matters involving people's liberty, property, and business affairs.

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a crucible of excellence

These statements come at a time of growing discontent among Bar Course students regarding the LDC's assessment and progression policies. A coalition of students, known as the LDC Fairness Coalition, has notified the police of their intention to stage a peaceful protest. They are demanding reforms to the Bar Course assessment system, arguing that students who pass most subjects should not be discontinued from the program. Instead, they advocate for retaking only the failed subjects, rather than repeating the entire course.

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the public depends on LDC to certify that graduates are competent to handle matters involving people’s liberty, property and business affairs.

The LDC Fairness Coalition claims to represent over 800 students from the current 2024/2025 Bar Course cohort. They have repeatedly petitioned the institution, but have yet to receive a satisfactory response. Justice Madrama, however, remained firm in his position, insisting that the LDC must enforce its examination policies objectively and without compromise. He also defended the reintroduction of the pre-entry examination for the Bar Course, citing its role in establishing a uniform standard for assessing candidates from Uganda's numerous law degree-offering universities.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pamela Tibihikirra Kalyegira, the LDC Director, acknowledged the increasing pressure on the institution, noting that over 3,000 students are currently enrolled across its two annual intakes. The center faces the challenge of maintaining its academic rigor while accommodating a growing student body.

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students who pass most of the examinable subjects can still be discontinued from the programme and required to repeat the entire course rather than retake only the subjects they failed.