BarefootLaw, a newly-accredited organisation within the Commonwealth, is celebrating a decade of providing award-winning legal services in Uganda to help local communities access the justice system and educate them about the law.
BarefootLaw employs innovative legal experts who use mobile “justice boxes” to connect rural communities with free legal advice from lawyers based in Kampala. This pro bono online service assists individuals in resolving disputes, obtaining essential legal information, and understanding their rights.
Gerald Abila, the founder and executive director of BarefootLaw, believes that after ten years of work in Uganda, it’s time to expand the operation to other countries in Africa and across the broader Commonwealth. Since its establishment in 2013, BarefootLaw has evolved from a basic Facebook page to a high-tech legal advice service, serving more than one million people.
Professor Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, commended BarefootLaw for filling a critical gap over the past decade, emphasizing that the organization exemplifies how innovation in the legal field is unstoppable and provides access to justice for Commonwealth citizens, especially the most vulnerable.
BarefootLaw also has a presence in The Hague, the international city of “peace and justice,” to promote its pioneering activities in Uganda and explore opportunities for further expansion.
Accredited organisations like BarefootLaw are trusted partners of the Commonwealth Secretariat, delivering on the organization’s mandate in response to the needs of member countries and in line with the values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter.
