Vacancy title:
Legal Assistant

Jobs at:
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA)

Deadline of this Job:
27th October 2017

Duty Station:
Uganda

Job details:
Reports to: Legal Officer
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA) is an international African humanitarian and development organization that positively contributes towards improving the living standards and conditions of those adversely affected by disasters and conflict in the Horn, East & Central Africa by implementing WASH, Health, Education, Livelihoods, Community service & development and Protection programs in the region for a period of more than 20 years.

About UNHCR Project:
HIJRA with funding from the UNHCR in Uganda is implementing a multi-sectoral Program for refugees in Oruchinga settlement (Isingiro district), Nakivale settlement (Isingiro district) and Nyakabande Transit Center (Kisoro district).

Job Summary: The Legal Assistant primarily provides specific legal assistance to the assigned Legal officer and office in the provision of direct legal support to victims of forced migration and in carrying out policy advocacy on forced migration. The Legal Assistant has regular interaction with clients, conducting sensitization on national and international laws regarding refugees, providing legal counsel, and collaborates with the Judiciary, Police and other stakeholders to ensure refugee protection.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• The incumbent will work closely with the Legal protection to ensure the protection of populations of concern is met through the application of the relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles
• Ensure that protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed.
• Ensure the people of concern have access to legal and fair hearing in court through court follow ups, prison monitoring etc.
• Sensitize the Community and Local authorities on Refugee law and Human Rights relating to refugees and others persons of concern to UNHCR, in order to ensure that national legislation is in compliance with International Legal Standards.
• Analytical reports of Legal protection related trends and issues are produced on a monthly and ad hoc basis
• Keep abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on Legal protection related issues
• Actively promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct
•  Assists in dealing with police concerning asylum-seekers and refugees to provide them protection to remain safely in country of asylum.
• Provide follow up to court cases involving asylum seekers/refugees, visits judges, public prosecutors, and explains IC's refugee status. If necessary arranges for a lawyer.
•  Guides on domestic legal issues including immigration and alien laws regarding asylum seekers/refugees.
• Provide counseling to asylum seekers/refugees on their legal problems. Explain legislation and their status in order to act accordingly.
• Advocate for legal aid services from the different legal aid service providers and Pro bono services from legal practitioners for the purpose of disposing of refugee cases at court
•  Assists in assessing welfare and providing assistance to the refugee caseload in prisons.
• Compiles monthly statistics of refugees in various prisons in the region.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of legal related activities within the newly established protection response framework
• Providing capacity building to RWCs and community members.
• Carry out any other duty assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal candidate for the HIJRA Legal Assistant job placement must hold a degree in Law (with specialization in criminal or human rights or any other related comparable line of specialization in law)
•  A minimum of two years’ experience in the same field of development and humanitarian work and NGOs’.
• Ability to produce high-quality legal documentation.
•  Excellent presentation and communication skills and the ability to interact with a number of different partners and contacts, including governmental authorities, UNHCR, victims and their families etc.
• Excellent communication and mediation skills
• Strong judgments skills are also a necessity
• Ability to act ethically and make moral decisions
• Sociable and open minded
• A person who can keep confidential information
• Broad working knowledge of the local law and be able to grasp new concepts with ease and accuracy
• Good time management skills
• Ability to speak more than one indigenous language would be desirable

Job application procedure
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send an application letter and Curriculum Vitae including telephone and email contacts of three referees including your current/most recent employer.

Application should be addressed to the:

Country Program Manager,
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA),
P.O. Box 37703, Kampala, Uganda.

Email to: vacancies.ug@hijra.or.ke . The subject line should read: “Legal Assistant.”