Our Historical Landmarks

The growth of the School of Law is characterized by several milestones. The following are worth noting.

1968      Establishment of the Department of Law at Makerere University, which was an opportunity for grooming indigenous lawyers.

1970 The Department of Law upgraded to a fully-fledged Faculty. This marked the consolidation of the institution.

1971 Formation of Makerere Law Society, a student’s representative body.

1972 Publication of the Makerere Law Journal, a students’ journal, which is an outlet for student publications.

1974 The first time for the Faculty to register a First Class LL.B Degree, and this was a positive reflection on teaching quality.

1975 The Faculty of Law moved to its own premises, which enhanced its profile and presence.

1976 There was an administrative edict requiring full time teaching which resulted into serious brain-drain of the Faculty.

1978      LL.M program introduced. This created more postgraduate study opportunities for the Faculty.

1981      Legal Practice was permitted for Law Lecturers. This resulted into more flexibility and led to reduced brain drain.

1990      Introduction of cost sharing. The book bank was establishment leading to increased access to reading materials.

1992 The evening programmes were introduced leading to an increase in student numbers and more financial resources.

1993 Formation of linkages with the University of Florida. This was an opportunity for student / staff exchange.

1994 The Human Rights and Peace Centre was established, which saw the introduction of human rights outreach programs in addition to teaching programmes.

The East- African Journal of Peace and Human Rights (EAJPHR) was launched.

For the first time, the Faculty won the All Africa Human Rights Moot Court Competition. This led to an improvement on the public image of the Faculty, both internationally and at home.

1995 The Odoki Report on Legal Education was published. It resulted into new/ liberalized admission requirements and a broader curriculum.

The four-year Bachelor of Laws program was introduced.

1997      The semester system was introduced. There was an expansion of course offerings for students.

Curriculum review and development led to more flexibility. Greater demands on the   Faculty.

New Lecture auditorium opened.

The Faculty of law won the All-Africa Human Rights Moot Competition for the second time.

1999      The first Faculty Strategic plan was published. This was an opportunity for better planning and strategic thinking.

The LL.D Program was introduced. It offered faculty members an opportunity to study from home.

The Faculty got into collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. 

2001 The Refugee Law Project (RLP) was establishment as an outreach programme of the Faculty.

Post-Graduate Diploma in Forced Migration was introduced.

The Faculty got into collaboration with the University of Warwick.

The Faculty won the All-Africa Human Rights Moot Court Competition for the third time.

2002 The Sexual Harassment Policy was adopted.  The Faculty once again became a trailblazer for Makerere University and other Institutions in Uganda, e.g. The Law Development Centre.

2004 The first female Dean, Dr. Sylvia Tamale was elected. She became a role model for young female students and a sign of increased gender sensitivity at the Faculty.

2005 The First LL. D degree was awarded to Professor Ben K. Twinomugisha.

2006 The Gender, Law & Sexuality Research Project was launched.

2011 The Faculty of Law transformed into the School of Law.

Centre for Environmental Law is established

2012 The Public Interest Law Clinic was launched, becoming the first of its kind at a University in Uganda.

2013 School of Law wins the third regional Child Rights moots competition.

2016       Network of Public Interest Lawyers (NETPI) is established.

PILAC is accredited by Uganda Law Council as a legal aid service provider

2018       School celebrates 50 years of existence under the tag SOL@50.

2020    Disability Law and Rights Centre is launched.