The study set out to assess the implementation of the Justice, Law and Order Sector Policy framework and the extent to which the Justice, Law and Order Sector policy options enhanced access to criminal justice for the vulnerable in Uganda. The objectives were to critically analyse the policy options on access to criminal justice, to examine the extent to which institutional enforcement mechanisms facilitated and/or hindered the realisation of human rights, and to examine the policy options on the rule of law and how they were applied in the criminal justice process. The study covered the Kampala Metropolitan area and the south-western part of Uganda, particularly Bushenyi and Mbarara districts. Guided by the Meter and Horn policy implementation model, the study employed qualitative methods which rhymed with the ontological aspects of the study, with a philosophical underpinning of social constructivism. The study population included selected officials from Justice, Law and Order Sector partners, including the Police, Judiciary, Director of Public Prosecutions and the Prisons Service, in addition to inmates. The thesis noted that judicial discretion has not been clearly defined in the laws, that there was a challenge of effective communication in human rights awareness creation and that capacity-building lacked a knowledge-sharing practice which best fits one context. The study presented the gap between policy and practice in the application of the rule of law in the administration of criminal justice in Uganda. It demonstrated that the extant policy and legislation fall short of the constitutional standards and are, therefore, not well suited to deliver criminal justice for the vulnerable. The findings of this study provide that the policy options and strategies fall short of addressing the levels of vulnerability and this makes it difficult for the poor to access services. In this thesis, the researcher presents the Ennead model of policy implementation, which is based on the constructs of the Meter and Horn policy implementation model, to address the systemic challenges faced in the implementation of the Justice, Law and Order Sector framework in the criminal justice process for the vulnerable.
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