Legal Officer – Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA)

Job Title:       Legal
Officer
Organisation: Humanitarian
Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA)
Funding Source: UNHCR
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Project
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.
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), Nyakabande Transit Center (Kisoro district) and Kyangwali Settlement
(Hoima District).
Job Summary:  The Legal Officer will identify 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: 
  • The protection of populations of concern is met through the application
    of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards
    and IASC principles.
  • The protection strategy incorporates a thorough age, gender and
    diversity (AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization’s global, regional
    and country level priorities.
  • 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.
  • Analytical reports of protection trends and issues are produced on a
    monthly and ad hoc basis.
  • Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural
    developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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: 
  • The ideal candidate for the HIJRA Legal Officer job opportunity
    must hold a Law degree/ human rights or a comparable discipline
  • 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.
  • Must 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
  • Must have a 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 should
be addressed to the:
Country Program
Manager,
Humanitarian
Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA),
P.O. Box 37703,
Kampala, Uganda.
Email to: vacancies.ug@hijra.or.ke.
The subject line should read: “Legal Officer”
NB: Please
note that interviews will be done on a rolling basis given the urgency of the
positions.
Deadline: 15th February 2019
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