This week, our team in Uganda and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) celebrated the release of a set of guidelines for prosecutors trying human trafficking cases. Our team provided support in writing and crafting the guidelines which will be distributed to prosecutors across the country in upcoming trainings.
All prosecutors are expected by the DPP to follow these guidelines in every step of upcoming human trafficking cases to promote consistency in how cases are prosecuted. The guidelines promote recommended practices for assisting victims throughout cases, cooperating with other agencies and service providers, and enforcing Uganda’s human trafficking laws.
At the release event, Justice Jane Frances Abodo stated the importance of these guidelines.
“When prosecuting Trafficking in Persons cases, it is expected that prosecutors will follow these Guidelines to strategize, plan, prepare, and equip themselves with the right foundation to be successful,” she said. “It is this foundation that will lead to better results in the prosecution of these cases, both in terms of victim support and in aggressive punishment of traffickers in Uganda.”
Our Special Counsel walked guests at the event through the guidelines and mentioned the importance of a guide like this for both prosecutors who are new to human trafficking cases and those who have taken on many cases. “The guidelines highlight effective practices and techniques in every phase of the prosecution process and should be used as a practical guide and a training tool for Ugandan prosecutors,” he said.
The prosecution guidelines represent one of the many ways in which our team of embedded experts assists investigators and prosecutors in enforcing Uganda’s human trafficking laws. By helping provide investigators and prosecutors with the tools to effectively identify and prosecute cases, they are able to stop more traffickers.
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