The judiciary has challenged law students in Uganda to embrace modern technology if they are to make a meaningful impact in today’s society.
Susan Okalany, a High Court judge and deputy head of the International Crimes Division, made the call while meeting law students at Kampala International University in Kampala.
Okalany said young people were born into a technology-driven era and must take advantage of it to remain relevant in the legal profession.
“Young people were born in an era where technology is useful. The media is driven by technology, research is driven by technology, and core systems, especially in international criminal law, depend heavily on technology,” she said.
She added that evidence is increasingly recorded and managed using digital tools, warning that those who lack such skills risk being left behind.
“If you are not knowledgeable on how to use technology to collect, analyse and adduce evidence, you will be left behind,” she said.
While delivering a paper on international criminal law, Okalany also urged students to deepen their understanding of the subject by reading widely, particularly works by African scholars.
“In addition to the training they are receiving, they should expand their knowledge through further studies, training and reading scholarly works, especially by African experts in international criminal law,” she said.
Okalany further called on the government to strengthen legal cooperation with countries in the Middle East to enable Ugandan domestic workers to access justice.
She noted that cases handled at the International Crimes Division are often hindered by the lack of legal frameworks to support cooperation between Uganda and countries in the region.
“We do not have sufficient laws that encourage cooperation. This makes it difficult to obtain evidence from those countries, and when crimes are committed there, we cannot try them here,” she said.
Regina Idu Ejemot-Nwadiaro, deputy vice chancellor in charge of research at Kampala International University, said the institution is committed to linking students with communities through such engagements.
“Part of what we want to achieve is to work with communities to address societal challenges and prepare our students for the job market,” she said.
Adedoyim Akinsulore, associate dean at the School of Law at the university, said public lectures are intended to expose students to practical experiences.
“The aim is to move towards skills-based learning. Over time, we have found that students are better able to connect classroom knowledge with real-world experience, and such engagements have inspired many of them,” he said.
