Only qualified Ugandan citizens may register, practice and be partners of law firms in the country.
"1. Interpretation
In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—
"advocate" means any person whose name is duly entered upon the Roll and—
(a) for the purposes of subsection (2) of section 18 of this Act and Part V of this Act, includes any person mentioned in section 5 of this Act: and
(b) for the purpose of disciplinary proceedings under this Act, includes—
(i) any person permitted to practise under subsection (6) of section 10 of this Act; and
(ii) any person who carries out work of a nature normally performed by an advocate or who is entitled to act or who purports to act as, or pretends to be, an advocate;
[definition of "advocate" substituted by section 27(A) of Act 27 of 2002] [...]
"legal practice" includes carrying out work of a nature normally performed by an advocate, such as receiving instructions to sue or defend a client in contentious matters, carrying out any form of representation in non-contentious matters such as drawing of documents of conveyancing, agreements, mortgages, floating of companies, registration of trade marks and patents, negotiations, writing legal opinions, legal correspondence, witnessing and certifying and notarising miscellaneous legal documents; [...]
"unqualified person" means a person not qualified under section 8.
[...]
8. Admission and enrollment of advocates
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a person to whom this section applies, shall be eligible to have his or her name entered on the Roll. [...]
(8)
This section applies to a person who—
(a) is the holder of a degree in law granted by a university in Uganda; or
(b) is a Uganda citizen and—
(i) a holder of a degree in law obtained from a university or other institution recognised by the Law Council in a country operating the common law system; or
(ii) has been enrolled as a legal practitioner by whatever name called, in any country operating the common law system and designated by the Law Council by regulations; or
(iii) holds a qualification that would qualify him or her to be enrolled in any country operating the common law system and designated by the Law Council by regulations.
[...]
13. Temporary admission to right to practise
(1) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Part of this Act, the Law Council may, subject to the person obtaining a special practising certificate, admit to practise as an advocate for the purpose of any one case or matter, any legal practitioner, by whatever name called, of any country operating the common law system and designated by the Law Council under subsection (8) of section 7 of this Act, who has come or intends to come to Uganda for the purpose of appearing in that case or matter.
[subsection (1) substituted by section 10 of Act 27 of 2002]
(1a) A person referred to in subsection (1) is only entitled to appear or act—
(a) in the case or matter for which that person is admitted; and
(b) if that person is instructed by, and if when appearing in any Court in the conduct of the case or matter, that person appears together with, an advocate with a valid practising certificate or a person mentioned in section 5 of this Act.
[...]
Part VII – Offences
64. Unqualified person not to practise
(1) Any person other than an advocate who shall either directly or indirectly act as an advocate or agent for suitors, or as such sue out any summons or other process, or commence, carry on or defend any suit or other proceedings in any court, unless authorised to do so by any law, commits an offence.
(2) Subsection (1) shall be subject to any regulations made by the Law Council for the provision of legal aid and advice to indigent persons, and no person who acts in accordance with those regulations commits an offence under that subsection. [...]" (Advocates Act, 1970, as amended)
Advocates Act, 1970, as amended
[<a href="https://ulii.org/akn/ug/act/1970/22/eng@2002-12-10">Act</a>]