Job Title: Legal Officer
Organisation: Humanitarian
Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA)
Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA)
Funding Source: UNHCR
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Protection Manager
About US:
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.
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).
multi-sectoral Program for refugees in Oruchinga settlement (Isingiro
district), Nakivale settlement (Isingiro district) and Nyakabande Transit
Center (Kisoro district).
Job Summary: The Legal Officer will be tasked with the
identification of legal needs in the
field and provide counselling and representation in relevant administrative
bodies. The Legal Officer will work with community leaders to support advocacy
at the community level and engage in mediation and negotiation as needed.
identification of legal needs in the
field and provide counselling and representation in relevant administrative
bodies. The Legal Officer will work with community leaders to support advocacy
at the community level and engage in mediation and negotiation as needed.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Ensure
the protection of populations of concern is met through the application of
International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and
IASC principles. - Ensure
protection strategy incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity
(AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization’s global, regional and
country level priorities. - Ensure
the participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous
assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based
approaches. - Protection
incidents are immediately identified and addressed. - Prepare
and send analytical reports of protection 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 the protection environment. - Actively
promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC
policy, standards and codes of conduct. - Foster
their consistent and coherent interpretation and application through
mainstreaming in all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations. - Significantly
contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection
related activities and partners in particular within the newly established
protection response framework. - Compile
data from the field and partners in a systematic manner. Draft
consolidated reports on update impact of the protection response framework
and legal issues. - Provide
legal advice and guidance on protection issues to the operation and draft
legal notes, as required. - Contribute
to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD
based programming with implementing and operational partners. - Contribute
to and facilitate a program of results-based advocacy through a
consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners. - Facilitate
effective information management through the provision of disaggregated
data on populations of concern and their problems. - Contribute
to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert
their rights. - Actively
participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant
institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related
legislation and procedures. Authority (decisions made in executing
responsibilities and to achieve results) - Decide
in consultation with the supervisor and the protection unit issues to be
researched and topics for thematic reports. - Enforce
compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating
procedures. - Line-manage
the staff including day-to-day management, development and training,
appraisals, etc. - Facilitate
regular staff meetings to ensure awareness of project objectives, and
opportunity for feedback. - Provide
staff coaching and technical supervision to develop ownership /
responsibility for activities. - Ensure
all possible durable solutions are explored for persons of concern. - Take
a lead role plan of action, to ensure the protection of refugees and
asylum-seekers through interventions with local authorities and other
entities on instances of arbitrary arrest and detention. 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 of concern to UNHCR, in order to ensure
that national legislation is in compliance with International Legal
Standards. - 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.
Qualifications, Skills and
Experience:
Experience:
- The ideal candidate for the HIJRA Legal Officer vacancy must
hold a Law degree/ human rights
or a comparable discipline - A
minimum of three years of work experience in the same field of development
and humanitarian work and NGOs’ - Ability
to produce high-quality legal documentation - Ability
to present and defend cases in a court of law - 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. - Possess
communication and negotiation skills. - Strong
judgments skills are also a necessity - Someone
who can make ethical and moral decisions - Sociable
and open minded - A
person who can keep confidential information - Possess
solid knowledge of the local law and be able to grasp new concepts with
ease and accuracy - Very
organized and need to have good time management skills to meet deadlines
on time.
How to Apply:
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 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:
[email protected]. The subject line should read: “Legal Officer.”
[email protected]. The subject line should read: “Legal Officer.”
Deadline: 20th December 2016
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