Reflections with Two Weeks Left

By Megan Springer – Kampala, Uganda

Somehow the time has flown by so quickly that I have less than two weeks left in Uganda.  I distinctly remember thinking “wow, I leave for Uganda in two weeks.”  The fear that accompanied that realization is starkly different from the fear that lingers with me now.  I keep wondering if I made good enough use of my time here.  Did I experience the culture enough?  Did make my internship with the Chief Justice all that it could be?  Did I take full advantage of all the opportunities I have had?  As easy as it is to wonder what more I could have done, I’m trying to make the most of these final two weeks and also to reflect on the amazing things I have been able to do these past six weeks. 

For one, I have been able to gain practical knowledge through writing four judgments (opinions) and two research memorandums for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which has been absolutely amazing.  Through doing this I have been able to not only gain work experience and keep up those Legal Research and Writing skills, but I have come to appreciate the efficiency and logic behind the U.S. legal system and the skill that lawyers and judges in the U.S. have.  One of the things that I had prepared myself for as much as a I could was the difference in the functionality of the U.S. and Ugandan legal systems.  I had never thought of the United States as one of those highly efficient places, like Germany, but I have a new found appreciation for the way that the judiciary works in the U.S.  In Uganda, inefficiency is the word.  This is evidenced by the children who sit in remand homes for two years before having their case scheduled for trial or even meeting with an attorney. 

It is also present in viewing the office of the Chief Justice.  He has tables and desks stacked with case files and papers.  It is not that he is disorganized, but he is over loaded and inundated with work.  There are pending cases from two years ago sitting on the desk, waiting for a judgment to be rendered.  Because all cases that procedurally fall into certain categories are automatically appealable in Uganda, there is no real limitation on cases that reach the Supreme Court.  The merits of the case are irrelevant, unlike in the United States where the case must be granted a writ of certiorari in order for the Supreme Court to hear it.  When I asked the Chief Justice about this, he reasoned that “every Ugandan should have access to the highest court.”  As much as I think this is an admirable and not impossible goal, I am not sure that it is the most practical for Uganda.  Uganda is a small enough nation that if it had an appropriate degree of staffing and infrastructure, it could allow for this sort of unfettered appeals process.  However, the fact that there are 70 judges serving 30 million people makes the process anything but efficient.  And when one court hears an appeal for every party who fancies itself aggrieved, there is bound to be immense backlog.  That is what is happening in Uganda.  The judges are overworked at every level, and the backlog is enormous.  In such a state, it seems to me that idealistic goals, such as the unlimited appellate procedure, must take a backseat to efficiency.  However, that is just the view of an outsider second year law student.

However, despite the inefficiencies plaguing the Ugandan judiciary, there are some very positive aspects to it as well.  One of the main things I have taken away that I appreciate about the Ugandan system is that the judges really do their own work.  Judges here do not have clerks, unless they are very very fortunate (aka important).  The Chief Justice has one research assistant, and, for the summer, me.   With the exception of the little contribution that his R.A. and I can temporarily make, the Chief Justice does all his own work.  He researches the issues, he digs through the written submissions and appellate records, he writes his own judgments, and he acts as the head of the judiciary.  He is also very proud that he is does it all himself.  In the United States, most judges have at least one clerk and many times interns and secretaries working for them to do the “grunt work.”  This is not to say that U.S. judges do not do their own work, they certainly do, but they have a lot more assistance than Ugandan judges enjoy. 

Aside from the valuable and eye-opening work experience that I have attained in Uganda, I have also been very lucky as to experience Uganda and Ugandans.  Through work, involvement with a community organization for street children, and traveling I have gotten to know a great deal about Uganda and the Ugandan people.  From talking about politics and cultural comparisons with many workers within the judiciary (judges, registrars, secretaries, drivers, etc.) I feel that I have gotten a feel for one aspect of culture in Uganda.  It is always interesting to hear locals, especially government employed locals, talk about their own politics and culture.  It has been a really great learning experience, and it has also provided a great deal of entertainment for me. 

I’ve also made a point to get involved with a community organization in one of the less affluent districts of Kampala. Some of the Pepperdine students who were in Kampala last year began the relationship with this organization, which was started by a young Ugandan who grew up as a street kid but was able to get an education through a soccer scholarship.  The organization provides housing for about fifteen boys who were living on the street, and is able to pay the school fees for most of them as well.  Additionally, the organization provides activities for probably fifty more kids within the community.  They have a place to go to be kids and to stay out of trouble.  I have gone over to just hang out with the kids pretty frequently, and every time I go it is more special.  The kids love us so unconditionally, and everyone I’ve met through the organization has been willing to do anything for me at the drop of a hat.  For my birthday, they got a cake and threw a little party.  I was nearly brought to tears at the sight of thirty kids and a few adults, all who have nothing (financially) compared to me, finding a way to get a cake to celebrate my birthday.  It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  Seeing how little these kids have, and yet how much they are willing to give, has been nothing short of life changing.

Finally, I have been blessed with the ability to travel and see the rest of Uganda.  I have gone on a safari, been gorilla trekking, and rafted the Nile River.  And although those experiences have been phenomenal, they are more valuable because of all the country I got to see on the way to them.  Driving through the Ugandan countryside is beautiful in many respects, and startling in others.  The hills and greenery of the country is breath-taking, but the little towns and villages that we have driven through have revealed how most Ugandan live.  As our buses have driven though these towns, the children run up smiling screaming “muzungus!” while the adults run over with boxes and bins full of food, drinks, and crafts to sell us.  There is poverty like I’ve never seen in these little towns, and the sight of their joy at having another tourist van drive through is very depressing.  The kids are excited to see new people come through, and the adults are excited to see potential income come through.  Either way, it is a very strange and sad reality.  However, despite the fact that most Ugandans only see money signs when they look at us white tourists, they are always incredibly kind to us.

All in all, I have enjoyed my time in Uganda immensely.  I am struggling to fathom that I will be back in the United States in less than two weeks, but it was an inevitable reality.