CONSTITUTION OF THE UK UGANDAN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
Also known as 'UULA'
NAME
1. The Association shall be known as The United Kingdom Ugandan Lawyers Association (herein after called the Association).
PURPOSE
2.The Association is a networking forum for lawyers, legal professionals, law students and professionals from other academic disciplines.
NATURE
3.The Association will be an unincorporated association of members.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
4.These will include but will not be limited to the following:
a) to provide a means by which lawyers of Ugandan decent regardless of area of practice can participate together fully and effectively to strengthen the Association.
b) to encourage Lawyers as individuals to join actively and identify themselves with fellow lawyers and to utilise the skills and training of their expertise.
c) to mentor and promote the training of junior lawyers and law students looking to join the profession with particular emphasis on nurturing and empowerment.
d) to encourage a high standard of conduct amongst all members of the Legal profession of Ugandan decent living and practicing in the UK.
e) to consider Ugandan legislation relating to matters that affect people in the diaspora and in particular the applicability and suitability of any such laws.
f) to participate when called upon in draft legislation and to strengthen the machinery of critical examination of legal quality of Ugandan laws.
g) to promote the reform of the law both by amendment of and removal of the imperfections in the existing law.
h) to cooperate with other professional organisations and bodies.
i) to foster and develop among its members the true spirit of fraternity.
MEMBERSHIP
5. Persons shall be eligible to be members of the Association if they support the Association’s aims and objectives and fall within one or more of the following categories:
a)i). Members of the Bar and admitted Solicitors in England and Wales and Northern Ireland or members of the Faculty of Advocates, writers to the Signet or Solicitors in Scotland;
ii. Pupil barristers, trainee solicitors or students of law;
iii. Persons who are or have been teachers of Law;
iv. Fellows, members or associates of the institute of Legal Executives;
v. Persons resident in the United Kingdom who have acquired professional statues as Layers in other member states of the Council of Europe or the Commonwealth;
vi. Current and retired members of the United Kingdom judiciary or the judiciary of other member states of the council of Europe or the commonwealth;
vii. Other persons having connection with the teaching, practice or administration of the law who, in the opinion of the Committee, would be likely to make a valuable contribution to the work of the Association;
6. Organisations rather than individuals shall be eligible for membership if they support the Association’s aims and objectives.
7. An eligible person who wishes to become a member of the Association shall submit the prescribed application form together with payment in the form and amount specified by the Committee from time to time. The Committee may use its discretion to refuse to admit any applicant to membership.
8.Membership shall terminate:
i. Upon the member ceasing to be eligible for membership;
ii. Upon receipt by the committee of the member’s notice of resignation;
iii. If the member’s subscription shall be 12 months in arrears;
iv. If the member shall be expelled by a vote of two thirds of the members of the Executive Committee present and voting at a meeting and comprising in addition not less than half the members of the Executive Committee, the member being entitled to appeal to a general meeting.
OFFICERS - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
9. The Association in General Meeting shall elect the Executive Committee (hereinafter known as the Committee);
10. The Committee shall consist of seven officers of the Association as follows:
Chairperson
Secretary
Chief Whip
Speaker of the House
Treasurer
Coordinator and Events
Aspiring Lawyers Executive Representative.
11. Nominations for election of any person as an Officer or a member of the Executive Committee may be made by written notice given by two members of the Association, including the nominee themselves
12. All contested elections for office or membership of the Committee shall be conducted by ballot of the members of the Association present at the Annual General Meeting. For contested elections for office, the candidate who receives the most votes shall be declared elected. For contested elections for membership of the Committee, the seven candidates who receive the most votes shall be declared elected.
13. If there shall be a vacancy in any office the Committee shall appoint one of the other Officers or an elected member of the Committee to fill the vacancy until the close of the next Annual General Meeting.
14. The tenure of all members of the Committee shall be subject to the terms of this Rule. Any Committee members who fail to attend three consecutive Committee meetings without reasonable excuse will be deemed by the Committee to have resigned, and the member notified accordingly.
15. Committee members are expected to attend 75% of Committee meetings and to participate actively in the work of the Executive Committee. Members of the Committee, may be removed by a vote of two thirds of the members of the Executive Committee present and voting at a meeting who comprise, in addition, not less than half the members of the Executive Committee. The remaining members of the Committee shall have power to co-opt any member of the Association to fill the resulting vacancy, subject to the limit in Rule 8.
GENERAL MEETINGS
16. An Annual General Meeting shall be held at least once in every year on such day as may be appointed by the Committee, being not more than fifteen months after the previous Annual General Meeting.
17.The business to be conducted at the Annual General Meeting shall be such as may be directed by the Committee together with any resolution of which notice in writing to the Committee signed by two members of the Association has been given not less than twenty-one days before the meeting. Any other matters may in the discretion of the Chair of the Meeting be raised without notice for purposes of discussion only.
18. The Secretary shall ensure that each member of the Association is given not less than thirty days’ written notice of the date, time and place of the Annual General Meeting. The Secretary shall, not less than ten days before the date of the Meeting, send to each member of the Association an agenda specifying the business to be conducted at the meeting and the names of candidates for election.
19. A Special General Meeting shall be held:
(a)if requisitioned by the Committee; or
(b) on the requisition of not fewer than four members of the Association made in writing to the Executive Committee and specifying the business for which the Special General Meeting is to be requisitioned.
20. The Secretary shall ensure that each member of the Association is given not less than fourteen days’ written notice of any Special General Meeting, specifying the date, time and place of the Meeting and the business to be transacted. Such business will be limited to that for which the business was requisitioned.
21. Accidental failure to give notice of a General Meeting or send an agenda to any member in due time or at all shall not invalidate the proceedings at the General Meeting.
22. Voting at a General Meeting shall be by show of hands. In the event of equality of votes the Chair of the Meeting shall have a casting vote.
23. The Chair of the Association (or in his or her absence the Vice-Chair) shall take the chair at any General Meeting. In the absence of both the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the members present at the Meeting shall elect a chair. In the absence of the Secretary, the chair of the Meeting shall appoint some member to take the minutes of the meeting.
24. The quorum of any General Meeting shall be ten members of the Association.
25. If the business of a General Meeting is not concluded within the time available, the Meeting shall be adjourned to such time and place as the chair of the Meeting shall direct.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE POWERS AND MEETINGS
26. So far as not otherwise provided in these Rules and subject to any directions which may be given by a resolution of the Association in General Meeting, the affairs of the Association shall be controlled and directed by the Committee. The Committee may seek assistance from those outside the Committee as and when necessary.
27. The Chair of the Association (or in his or her absence the Vice-Chair) shall take the chair at any meeting of the Committee. In the absence of both the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the members present at the meeting shall elect a chair.
28.The quorum at any meeting of the Committee shall be five.
29. The chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of equality of votes.
30. Meetings of the Committee shall be convened at such times and places as shall be agreed by the Committee and may also be convened on the requisition of any of the Officers or any three members of the Committee. The Secretary shall give to each member of the Committee not less than seven days’ notice of any meeting, but the period of notice may be abridged in case of urgency. Accidental failure to give notice to any members in due time or at all shall not invalidate the proceedings.
31. The Committee shall at each Annual General Meeting report to the members of the Association on its conduct of the affairs of the Association since the previous Annual General Meeting.
MEMBERS SUBSCRIPTION AND FINANCE
32.The subscriptions for the year shall be such sum or sums as may be determined by the Committee from time to time in accordance with rules below;
i) Subscriptions shall be paid on joining the Association and thereafter on 1st April of each year (“the Renewal date”). Members joining the Association on or after 1st October in any year shall pay half a year’s subscription from the date of joining to the last day of March of the following year.
ii) Members of the Association who wish to pay or renew their membership shall do so by one of the following methods; Standing Order, Bank Transfer or Cheque.
iii) At the discretion of the Committee, group membership may be granted to organisations on payment of a subscription in such amount as the Committee decides is appropriate in each case for each year, having regard to the number of individuals within that organisation who are expected to make use of the membership.
iv) The amount of the annual subscription may (with effect from the beginning of the next subscription year) be altered by a resolution at a meeting of the Committee not less than 6 months before the Renewal date.
v) The Association shall open and maintain an account at a bank into which the subscriptions and other receipts of the Association shall be paid. Money not for the time being required for the purposes of the Association may be placed on deposit account or invested in any other manner approved by the Committee. The bank account shall require two signatories for all monies over the amount of £50 for the time being; the two signatories are to be maintained by members in the positions of Treasurer and Secretary.
vi) The Treasurer shall be responsible (under the supervision of the Committee) for the management of the finances of the Association. The Treasurer shall cause accounts to be prepared in respect of each year and such accounts shall be laid before the Annual General Meeting in the following year.
AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES
33. The rules may be altered only by a resolution at a General Meeting supported by at least two thirds of the members present and voting thereon.
BRANCHES
34. Members of the Association may form branches in any of the countries, regions or localities of the United Kingdom and members of any such branch may make such regulations as they think fit for the conduct of its activities: provided that any such branch shall have the same objects as the Association and that its regulations shall not be inconsistent with the Rules of the Association.
35. The Committee of the Association may provide assistance for branches out of the funds of the Association. The Committee shall consult with any relevant branch on matters of particular concern to the country, region or locality in question.
NOTICE
36. Any written notice shall be deemed to be given to a member if it has been sent by post or delivered or sent by electronic mail to a member’s address last notified in writing by such member to the Secretary.
GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
37. This Constitution is governed by and construed in accordance with English law and in the event of any dispute the parties are to resolve the dispute by means of mediation and if such fails the parties are to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
ADOPTED THIS 6TH DAY OF JUNE 2022