Training Attorneys on Cross-Cultural Skills For Transitional Justice & Rule of Law Programs
This timely report discusses why cross-cultural skills are important and how to train attorneys on it before they work on transitional justice or rule of law programs abroad.
Impact of Criminal Justice Reform on Transitional Justice in Latin America
This study evaluates how reforms focusing on prosecutors can impact transitional justice and prosecutorial efforts against state officials for human rights violations.
Survey Results & Recommendations on Enhancing Access to Justice for People with Disabilities in Nigeria
This report discusses results and recommendations on how law enforcement, legal aid organizations, the court, and others can improve their efforts when working with people with disabilities.
Guide to Improving Women’s Land Rights Through Customary Justice Systems in Kenya
This USAID and Landesa report contains information on everything from the needs assessment phase to designing an exit strategy. It also provides advice on how to be inclusive of ethnic minority communities and how to ensure the community can be more accepting of women’s rights.
Legal Strategies to Combat Trafficking in India
This report offers strategies on working with media, increasing collaboration among NGOs, enforcing court rulings and much more.
A Critical Assessment of DFID’s Security & Justice Programs
This ICAI report provides an overview of the UK’s security & justice priorities & is highly critical of its approach to reform.
Book: The International Rule of Law Movement: A Crisis of Legitimacy & the Way Forward
A summary of David Marshall’s 2014 book on “The International Rule of Law Movement: A Crisis of Legitimacy and the Way Forward”
Impact Evaluation on Training Traditional Leaders in Zimbabwe
This USAID report discusses results from the first impact evaluation conducted to systematically study a program training traditional leaders.
Evaluating the Cultural Impact of Psychosocial Counseling Programs
This article challenges practitioners to consider whether the psychosocial counseling NGOs provide are culturally appropriate (and whether there are any implications for the provision of legal aid).
Developing Communities of Practice for New Judges
This article discusses the importance of developing communities of practice and increasing social interaction among new judges.
An Evaluation of Children’s Rights Programs in Tanzania
This evaluation discusses challenges & recommendations for one stop centers, children and gender desks at police stations, child friendly courts, public prosecutors & paralegal programs.
4 Things to Know about Youth, Mental Health & Juvenile Justice
Learn why mental health programs need to be strengthened for youth in the juvenile justice system.
Why Special Prosecutors Should Accompany Police Reform Programs
This former police officer-turned civil rights activist believes police training is insufficient to address police brutality. Learn more about what he recommends.
Improving Access to Justice in Post-Disaster Contexts
This article contains valuable recommendations for practitioners looking to bridge humanitarian assistance with legal aid and discusses why post-disaster legal concerns of communities shouldn’t go ignored.
A Beginner’s Guide to Measuring Rule of Law & Security Programs
This toolkit provides information on everything from operating under time, political, financial, cultural and data constraints to the different ways to collect data for rule of law programs.
Access to Justice For The Urban Poor: Challenges & Recommendations
This Asian Development Bank report discusses common challenges the urban poor face and provides recommendations for rule of law reformers.
Global Strategies to Reduce Pretrial Detention
A new Open Society Foundations report discusses different country strategies to reduce pretrial detention.
Emerging Trends in Property Rights for Vulnerable Populations in Asia
Three emerging trends in property rights for vulnerable populations are explored. It discusses youth, displaced women, and innovative technology.
An Evaluation of Mediation Programs and Social Harmony in Nepal
This evaluation discusses mediation’s impact on social harmony, inter-group relationships and also discusses how ethnic majorities and minorities engage in mediation differently.
Selecting the Right Indicators to Improve Court Performance
This intro to court indicators looks at 3 popular models. It also provides advice on how to collect data to support indicators and how this can translate into court reform.
How to Increase Collaboration Between Public Health and Justice Donors
This new report looks at how health & human rights donors address the intersection of access to justice and health and it outlines obstacles and opportunities for future collaboration.
New Handbook on Early Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Processes
UNODC and UNDP released a new handbook (including curriculum’s) for legal aid providers, police, judges, and prosecutors on providing early access to legal aid.
Diaspora Advises Morocco on Rule of Law Reform
The Moroccan Commission on National Dialogue & New Constitutional Prerogatives just released the results of a 10 month long consultation with the Diaspora on how to move forward with rule of law reform!
Lessons from Legal Aid Pilot Projects in Jordan
Learn how one organization is creating discreet spaces for women to seek legal aid, how they’re making programs sustainable, and why they’re implementing alternatives to the ‘one-stop’ shop model.
Securing Access to Justice and Land for Displaced Women
South Sudan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Liberia, Palestine & Ecuador offer fascinating case studies on why supporting access to justice initiatives for women’s land rights are critical in post-conflict states
New Law Strengthens Native American Justice System in the US
The US is slowly taking steps to recognize and empower Native American justice systems by giving them the power to prosecute non-Indians for crimes committed in their territories.
Establishing Bar Associations in Post-Conflict States
Learn what factors are important to consider in creating a bar association in a post-conflict state.
Introducing Plea Bargaining into Post-Conflict Countries
Read about best practices and lessons learned implementing plea bargaining in post-conflict countries.
Surveying 30 Years of Paralegal Programs in the Philippines
This new World Bank report looks at the history of paralegals in the Philippines, government recognition of community-based paralegals, and factors that strengthen and weaken their work.
Evaluating the Impact of an ADR Program on Property Disputes in Liberia
This ADR program decreased violent land disputes & increased community involvement in dispute resolution. Unintended consequences included an increase in conflict between youth and elders.
How Thailand Successfully Fused Human Rights Norms Into Police Training
Learn why this human rights training became something sought after by police in Thailand.
How Kosovo Is Becoming a Leader in Juvenile Justice Reform
Learn about the strides Kosovo is making to improve their juvenile justice system and how more work is needed to ensure public defenders are trained to keep up with the changes.
Common Misconceptions About Court Reform & How This Distorts Progress
Learn why viewing courts as anti-government or pro-government is too simplistic and how public norms allow courts to be more progressive in some areas but less so in other areas.
How To Make Legal Empowerment Programs Sustainable
From recommendations on challenging power structures to the use of donor basket funds, learn what strategies can improve the sustainability of legal empowerment programs.
Improving Court Reform for People with Disabilities & Mental Health Needs
Check out this report by the UK Ministry of Justice on how police, lawyers, and court staff should address the needs of people with mental health and developmental disabilities.
The Role of Mass Media in Transitions to Democracy
This new report studies the effectiveness of media in Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East in helping countries transition to a democratic system.
The Impact of Rule of Law on Poverty and Development
A new report reviews the impact of rule of law initiatives on reducing poverty and boosting development and highlights which programs were successful and why.
Horizontal Systems of Justice and Why They Matter
Learn about traditional justice systems that strengthen human rights and why imparting skills like media and institutional advocacy are essential.
Recommendations on Improving Evaluations in the Rule of Law Sector
Learn about the preferred method for stakeholders to absorb lessons learned & the evaluation reports that are most effective.
An Overview of Innovations that Advanced Women’s Rights in the US
From remaking the public image of women in the media to taking on strategic legal cases, the history of the women’s movement in the US offers a few lessons on advancing equality abroad.
Using Popular Culture to Build Rule of Law in Chile
Learn how Proyecto ACCESO used techniques from US and Russia in the 20th century to promote rule of law through popular culture in South America.
What Have We Learned About Institutional Change?
Seth Kaplan summarizes interesting lessons from international aid agencies on how to work politically and address challenges to governance reform.
10 Things To Know About Rule of Law Reform
From focusing on a country’s power structure to including anthropologists and political scientists, Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld explains how the rule of law sector should change.
Citizens in Burma Share Ideas on How to Build Rule of Law
Citizens came up with ideas to address corruption, access to justice barriers, and the disconnect between government and the population
Juvenile Justice Systems Contribute to Cycle of Poverty in the US
Learn the history of the juvenile justice system and how the philosophy behind it has impacted the children it was designed to protect.
Identifying and Remedying Flaws in Access to Justice Research
New research discusses the limitations to current access to justice programs and touches on goals that should be pursued to improve it.
Africa’s Land Rush: The Role of Legal Empowerment
Learn about land grabs, challenges to promoting accountability, and what local actors are doing about it.
Linking Formal and Informal Justice Systems Through Dispute Resolution in Afghanistan
Learn what communities valued and resisted in linking traditional dispute resolution mechanisms with the formal justice system.
Best Practices for Building the Capacity of Police
Illiteracy, one-off training’s, outdated police codes, and foreign trainers. These are just a few examples experts have identified as barriers to effective police reform in developing and post-conflict countries.
Mapping the Justice Sector in Post-Conflict States
Check out which institutions and actors within the justice sector are often forgotten or ignored in rule of law projects.
Reinventing the Rules 