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Mental health challenges affecting young lawyers - UMLAS
Left to Right: Leaders of the Uganda Muslim Lawyers Association; Erias Nalukoola (publicity secretary), Ali Kankaka (president) and Siraje Katantazi (CEO) at the High Court in Kampala on December 11,2023. PHOTO | ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Mr Kankaka advised young lawyers to prioritise their work, be time conscious, and avoid carrying work home to maintain a healthy balance.
Uganda Muslim Lawyers Association (UMLAS) has voiced out concerns about the well-being of young lawyers in the legal profession focusing on mental health which has become a big challenge.
While speaking at a conference in Kampala on September 7, UMLAS President, Mr Ali Kankaka emphasised the importance of addressing mental health issues saying it is affecting most young lawyers who have less than five years’ experience in the industry.
"It's normal to have mental health issues because we are humans but what matters most is to ensure that there is work-life balance while on duty,” he said.
He also revealed that the main challenge affecting younger lawyers are poor pay and lack of opportunities to practice their careers which trigger mental health problems among them.
“We have seen lawyers leaving the Law Development Center and start running up and down looking for opportunities and this automatically causes mental issues," Mr Kankaka said.
He cautioned young lawyers against neglecting their well-being in search for money which has resulted into serious health problems like diabetes and hypertension.
“You find a young lawyer in the industry with less experience demanding to have what a lawyer who has spent more than 25 years in the industry has,” he said.
He revealed that this is a general problem not only for Muslim layers but the industry at large because they are all facing the same problem.
Mr Kankaka advised young lawyers to prioritise their work, be time conscious, and avoid carrying work home to maintain a healthy balance.
“There are many opportunities in the country but young lawyers have to be strategic because you find most of them stuck with compiled work on their desks which leads to backlog of cases and delay in justice ,” he said.
He also noted some of the young lawyers spend a lot of time on social media seeking for attention yet at the end of the day clients are disappointed in their work, leading to mental health problems.
Justice Muzamiru Kibedi from the Court of Appeal said to achieve more in legal practice, one has to be vigilant and have respect for the law and ethical principles.
“This can be achieved by exercising reasonable caution and diligence in one’s legal practice, being proactive in identifying and addressing potential ethical issues and advocating for client's rights and interests within the confines of the law,” he said.
Justice Kibedi added that for young lawyers to prosper, they have to report misconduct or unethical behavior to appropriate authorities.
Counsel Isaac Atukunda from Uganda Law Society acknowledged the importance of addressing mental health issues among young lawyers saying that it’s better to handle the illness at an early stage for one to remain stable at work.
“We have to share our own experiences and offer words of wisdom, which can help the young lawyers to take the right path in their line of duty,” he said.
He added that there is need for resilience, time management and self-care among lawyers.
“Remember your life first, the rest come after, you have to manage your stress and maintain your well-being and this applies to all lawyers because they face the same challenges,” Mr Atukunda said.
Meanwhile, UMLAS has also launched an initiative to provide mentorship and support to young lawyers to promote their well-being and professional development.
The association plans to hold regular workshops, training sessions, and networking events to address some of the challenges faced by young lawyers.
