The Role of a Lawyer & Government in Achieving Good Governance.

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Following the inhumane and degrading treatment of demonstrators protesting the high cost of living, the Uganda Law Society mobilized its members and saw the holding of a three-day strike whereby lawyers would not attend any court sessions. To some members of the public, the actions of the lawyers were a direct entry into the arena of politics and questions revolving around the role of the lawyer to this client, the general public and government in pursuit of good governance were raised. This hullabaloo necessitates a closer study of the concept of good governance and the roles that the different players can undertake. The concept of governance is as old as human civilization that even our fore fathers in pre colonial Uganda had set effective kingdom structures that left the colonialist amazed. Governance means the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented. Therefore governance entails an in-depth look at the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision. It is thus after all the established structures have been utilized that one can arrive at good governance. Likewise it is only logical that a dictatorship can never qualify for good governance as decisions are made solely by an individual as participation in decision making by other stakeholders is minimal. According to Article 3(g) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) promotion of democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance is one of the objectives of the organization. However, no exact definition of the term is given. Good governance has eight major characteristics; it is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It aims at minimizing corruption, taking into account

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