Legal Officer Job

Job Title: Legal Officer (Maternity Cover)

Organisation: ALIGHT

Duty Station: Rwamwanja, Uganda

Salary: UGX 2,500,000 – 3,000,000 /=

Reports to: Protection Manager

About US:

ALIGHT, formerly the American Refugee Committee (ARC), is an international non-profit, non-sectarian organization that has provided humanitarian assistance and training to millions of beneficiaries over the last 40 years. In 2011, Alight helped nearly 2.5 million people get essential services to regain their health and take back control of their lives. Alight works with its partners and constituencies to provide opportunities and expertise to communities of refugees and internally displaced persons in seven countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, including Iraq, Kosovo, and in the Darfur region of Sudan and is currently providing for emergency relief and recovery in Haiti. Alight provides shelter, clean water and sanitation, health care, skills training, microcredit education, protection to help survivors of war and natural disasters to rebuild their lives with dignity, health care, security and self-sufficiency.

Job Summary: Reporting to the Protection Manager, the Legal Officer -Maternity cover will identify legal needs in the field; provide counseling, information and legal options. He/She will be responsible for conducting legal information sessions, legal case management and follow ups, detention facility visits, awareness creation on rights and obligations of refugees under Ugandan Laws. She/he will work with communities particularly Paralegals to ensure access to legal assistance is accessible by all. You will be part of an integrated protection team, working on issues on general protection and sexual and gender based violence issues in Rwamwanja Settlement.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Monitor prisons within or around the Refugee settlement monthly in partnership with other agencies and stakeholders to interview imprisoned asylum seekers and/or refugees to establish reasons for their imprisonment and offer legal counseling. A report shall be submitted to UNHCR on all imprisoned asylum seekers and/or refugees;
Liaise closely with other implementing partners and ALIGHT program Services staff on reported cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) to ensure these incidents have been reported to the police in the settlement, and they have been followed up with district police, and actions have been taken to led to prosecution;
Conduct training and provide legal advice to refugees and asylum seekers in Rwamwanja in liaison with relevant local authorities as necessary on their rights and obligations in Uganda, importance of obtaining documentations from relevant national authorities such as birth certificates for the newly born children, marriage certificates, death certificate, and custody documentations; liaise with relevant local authorities as necessary to facilitate the issuance of these documents to the UNHCR’s persons of concern.
Prepare a weekly, monthly, bi annual, annual protection report and any other reports based on a UNHCR and ALIGHT formulated themes.
Provide stationery, police forms and facilitate community policing by police.
Follow up on charges filed either by the State authorities or the victims against the SGBV perpetrators – as per UNHCR Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) for victims of SGBV;
Work in liaison with OPM, UNHCR and other stakeholders; conduct peace building sessions between the refugees and host communities to enhance peaceful co-existence.
Monitor and support Community Paralegals in alternative dispute resolution activities and legal case management.
Together with GBV and CP officers support community leadership structures, especially the Neighborhood watch committees in their crime prevention and response functions.
Undertake regular monitoring and visits of detention and prison facilities
Provide legal counseling, information and available legal options to refugees and other persons of concern.
Conduct legal information sessions on human rights and key Laws relating to protection of refugees and other persons of concern.
Conduct case management and follow up on legal cases with relevant authorities.
Closely work with Police to provide necessary assistance to survivors and witnesses.
Submit daily and weekly data, including narrative of high risk cases to inform appropriate actions.
Participate in legal trainings for state and none state actors as directed by the Protection Manager.
Analyze data, highlight trends and legal protection needs of refugees and other persons of concern and share with Protection Manager
Work and manage sector budget- quality implementation and spending.
Participate in external meetings aimed at promoting access to justice for refugees and legal assistance such as district coordination committee meetings, Zonal meetings involving UNHCR, OPM and partners.
Work closely with the GBV and CP sectors to ensure linkages and referrals are done in a safe, effective and timely manner.
Perform any other duties assigned to you.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The applicant must hold a University degree in Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
At least three years of experience working with IDPs, Asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons on legal matters.
Ability to conduct comprehensive interviews and provide accurate assessments.
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to write clear and concise reports
Must be fluent in written and spoken English
Fluency in Swahili and ability to ride with a valid license (Class A) is an added advantage.
Prior experience working at the community level, with thorough understanding of how to communicate clearly
Understanding of human rights and issues relating to gender equality
Ability to work individually and within a team.
Ability to write clear, detailed, and concise reports on computer and consistently able to meet deadlines.
Willingness to travel throughout communities and work in a participatory manner with a variety of populations.
Strong knowledge of the local population and language.
Ability to handle stressful working conditions with limited supervision.