Legal Empowerment

Rights mean little if those entitled to them are not aware they exist. Due process is of doubtful value when you are illiterate, or unable to understand the proceedings. Courts are next to worthless for those who cannot afford the bus fare to reach them. Nor should justice be about courts alone. For all these reasons, legal empowerment is crucial. Part of IDLO's bottom-up (or demand side) approach, it involves equipping people with the knowledge, confidence and skills to realize their rights. Even as we work to improve the functioning of justice systems, we strengthen citizens' capacity to press for justice from below.

The rule of law only exists to the extent that it works for all.

Stories from Myanmar's Rule of Law Centres

Foundations of justice training in Myanmar

In recent years, civil society has played an increasingly important role in strengthening public legal awareness and advocating for access to justice in Myanmar. However, civil society is constrained by a limited understanding of the role of the legal system. Capacity development to enhance the knowledge and skills of civil society actors, as well as state accountability, remains a key priority.

Indonesia-Netherlands Rule of Law and Security Update

The Netherlands and Indonesia have a longstanding relationship in the fields of rule of law and security cooperation. The two countries' legal systems share a common heritage in substantive law and legal structure, and remain important partners today.

Kenya’s first legal aid action plan formally launched

Kenya has formally launched a National Action Plan on Legal Aid for 2017-2022, the first of its kind in Kenya and in the region.

Linking community voices to justice sector reform in Myanmar

Since 2015, the Rule of Law Centres (ROLCs) in Myanmar, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IDLO have been conducting training across the country to increase understanding and cooperation between justice providers and the communities they serve.

Tunisia workshop promotes pathways for women justice professionals

A regional workshop co-organized by IDLO brought together female judges, lawyers and academics in Sousse, Tunisia to discuss women’s effective participation in justice delivery and policy making across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Community justice in Uganda

Like other countries on the African continent, the Ugandan justice sector faces many challenges. Citizens demonstrate a widespread distrust towards formal justice institutions, which are perceived as corrupt, removed from the communities, expensive and slow to resolve disputes. This lack of confidence in the formal system leads people to resort to other means to seek recourse, and may also increase the likelihood of violence and further corruption.

IDLO entrega a la Municipalidad modelo de respuesta institucional a la violencia

San Pedro Sula, 21 de noviembre, 2017 – La Organización Internacional de Derecho para el Desarrollo, IDLO por su sigla en inglés, entrega el día de hoy una herramienta integral para fortalecer la respuesta a nivel local en materia de acceso a derechos de las personas vulnerables víctimas de la violencia en los ámbitos de vida y convivencia del Municipio de San Pedro Sula.

Evaluation (Final) of the project "Supporting Access to Justice (SAJA) in Afghanistan"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Final Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Supporting Access to Justice in Afghanistan (SAJA)”. The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by <

More than 200 participants join Conference hosted by the Rule of Law Centres at Yangon University

Yangon, November 11, 2017 - More than 200 people including Government officials, community members, civil society representatives, lawyers and law teachers from diverse organizations took part in a Conference hosted by the Rule of Law Centres (ROLC), implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), at Yangon University today.

Key Initiatives

Evaluation of the project "Strengthening Linkages Between Formal Justice System and Traditional Dispute Resolution System to Improve Access to Justice - Phase II"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Strengthening Linkages Between Formal Justice System and Traditional Dispute Resolution System to Improve Access to Justice - Phase II". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Evaluation (Final) of the project "Supporting Access to Justice (SAJA) in Afghanistan"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Final Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Supporting Access to Justice in Afghanistan (SAJA)”. The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by <
Evaluation (Mid-Term) of the project "Supporting Access to Justice (SAJA) in Afghanistan"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Mid-Term Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Supporting Access to Justice in Afghanistan (SAJA)”. The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Evaluation of the project "Enhancing the Capacity of the Legal Professional in Somalia for the Delivery of Justice"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Enhancing the Capacity of the Legal Professional in Somalia for the Delivery of Justice". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.