About this book
Overview
This book is based on ground level experience from diverse parts of the world, which has shown that legal strategies are indispensable in efforts to protect people from human rights violations, to ensure human security, and to secure rights, civil, political, socio-economic or cultural. It aims to establish links at the programmatic level between justice programming and poverty alleviation. It explains the international law relating to access to justice and its influence on national laws. It seeks to elaborate a methodology towards identifying and developing the normative basis of legal and judicial reform in the various national arenas. It addresses crucial questions: What are the most appropriate, practical, and effective strategies for securing access to justice for the poor? What level of interplay exists between poverty, good governance, and accountability in the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and in ensuring participation and non-discrimination in developmental decision-making geared towards these goals? The book clarifies conceptual issues relating to justice from the perspective of the poor and the marginalized. It examines judicial reform initiatives and critically appraises the institutionalization of strategies of ensuring access to justice by the poor.The book, centered on the view that access to justice is not charity, but rather a matter of right between rights-holders and duty-bearers, is designed to be of practical value to developmental practitioners. It includes practical recommendations for development and justice programming. It will be a useful companion to the UNDP Practice Note on Access to Justice, which focuses specifically on the concerns for the poor and vulnerable groups.
