Over 150 Ugandans seek for affordable legal services daily because they can not afford to hire legal services of a private lawyer due to poverty. Several reports also indicate that only about 16% of the entire population has access to full-time legal representation by lawyers, which means that about 84% of the population in Uganda does not have adequate access to lawyers, suggesting that they have to rely on other forms of assistance.
Now social media platforms such as Facebook which are known to many as merely ‘time wasting applications’ actually be used to access real – time legal advice and guidance, thanks to JusticeBot, a legal artificial intelligence ChatBot that has the ability to offer legal assistance and recommend lawyers in real time.
Lawyers and Software developers behind this innovation say that any Ugandan can now access free legal help using Facebook Messenger.
JusticeBot is an online platform that works via Facebook Messenger for now
Sagesse Magezi, the brain behind JusticeBot says that they they started this platform after realising try that over 65% of Ugandans don’t know anything about the law.
” Over 65% of Ugandans are faced with legal challenges. We know that knowledge of law and legal procedures is the first step in solving these issues in a very inexpensive and timely manner.” – Sagesse noted in part.
Using JusticeBot, Sagesse says that one will have to use Facebook to search for ”JusticeBot” and send them a message with their inquiring or anything related to the law and they’ll get a timely response from their ChatBot with the perfect and relevant information they may need to know.
”If you’re on Facebook, go to Messenger and search for JusticeBot, send us a message concerning any thing to know. Eh; ”I want to know how to acquire land.” You will be attended to in real time.”
Evelyn Sewaya, a lawyer from JusticeBot adds that the ChatBot uses simple English which is easy to understand for everyone seeking Justice.
She says this will also help Ugandans to know different aspects and legal issues so that they’re not exploited by by experts. She says that everyone needs to know the basics of the law because it’s what guides us in all that we do.
” All that we do is guided by the law which guides us. Before doing anything, make sure that you know the legal implications of what you’re doing so that you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law.”
