Latest News

Commonwealth Day 2019: Our Connection

The theme for 2019 is ‘’, which offers opportunities for individuals and organisations across the world to connect and work together.

International Women’s Day 2019

A call to action for the women and girls around the world who still experience inequality and injustice.

Our Students - A Force for Change

"I thank God. I actually don't have enough words to thank my tutors," Isaac Ndegwa LLB student. [Kenya]

Winners of the Google Impact Challenge Kenya

“We are changemakers. We are ordinary radicals. We are game changers. We are the African Prisons Project” Sheila Waruhiu.

What Happens After a Prisoner is Released?

"A few weeks ago, I went to receive Morris Kaberia, who was being released from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Nairobi…”

Youth Centre Opening Celebrated With Thanks

“This is what I have been waiting for since 2005. At last I have somewhere to go!” These were the grateful words spoken by Jessica, a young female resident of Luzira Prison Complex, Kampala.

Mandela International Day 2018

Nelson Mandela once said, "no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails."

Access to Justice in A "Peculiar Environment"

“Our hope is in you … APP has set a precedent in prison by piloting a prison-based Legal Aid clinic...”

Celebrating Change From Inside The Prison Walls

I’ve worked in prisons since I was 18. Death row inmates in Uganda call me ‘a prisoner by choice’.

A Vision for Justice Through Eyes that Have Cried: Strategic Litigation from the Margins

Challenging parliament to improve sentencing guidelines for people with mental health conditions in Uganda

Access to justice is a fundamental human right and a critical mechanism to combat a wide range of human rights violations. Yet, in Uganda, countless individuals who lack the means to secure legal representation face an uncertain future.

“I always looked forward to proving society wrong.”

Meet Phionah. She is part of our unlikely community. Her commitment to justice led her to serve clients alongside fellow paralegals, both incarcerated women and prison officers.

Expanding outside of prisons. Disrupting the poverty-to-prison pipeline in Nairobi.

The lack of meaningful access to justice impacts nearly two of every three people worldwide. The cost is greatest for those with the least. Our first-ever legal office, based outside of a prison, is a game-changer.

Poem: A call to bridge the path towards justice.

A message of hope in Uganda from Alex Byamukama.

A day in the life of a Justice Defenders Legal Officer: Kenneth Kugonza in Uganda

Kenneth Kugoza works in mid-central Uganda, helping those facing injustice. He shares how he spends his day across multiple prisons.

Allyship beyond perceived differences.

Three prison officers overcome perceived differences in service of those in prison. This unique show of solidarity is truly what makes the fabric of our community a unique tapestry of allies.

Reforming the Sexual Offences Act: securing proportionate sentencing.

Success as Justice Defenders paralegals ensure judges are able to use their discretion to sentence people convicted of sexual offences.

The unlikely activists. Reforming the criminal justice system from behind prison bars.

Success as Justice Defenders paralegals secure rights for suspects with mental disabilities.