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.

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.

Interview with John Pearson

John Pearson, former Director of Prosecutions for the Ontario Attorney General’s Ministry in Canada, worked with IDLO supporting the Myanmar Union Attorney General’s Office. He spoke to Victoria Harrison Neves, Strategic Communications Adviser, about his experience in the country.

Interview with Myanmar's Attorney General

H.E. U Tun Tun Oo, is the Attorney General of Myanmar. In November 2016, he spoke to IDLO as a special guest at the Assembly of Parties.

Afghanistan Bar Association launches communications strategy

To strengthen public outreach in Afghanistan and increase legal awareness throughout the country, the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association (AIBA) launched its Communications Strategy 2017 – 2020, developed with IDLO technical support, on Monday, 6 November in Kabul.

Legal Empowerment

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