The Economic and Legal Empowerment panel at the World Justice Forum IV explored how civil society, government, and private actors can work in concert to empower vulnerable and poor citizens through a robust rule of law.
Panelists focused on modern methods of legal empowerment such as government programs that raise awareness of vulnerable citizens’ constitutional rights; safeguards and regulations that ensure access to justice; the right to counsel; and access to formal business and financial mechanisms. The discussion also highlighted innovative solutions to closing the gap between passing a law in the halls of parliament and the reality of that law as experienced by the poor.
Moderator
Zaza Namoradze, Director, Budapest Office, Open Society Justice Initative (Hungary)
Panelists
Yasmin Batliwala, CEO, Advocates for International Development (United Kingdom)
Stephen Golub, Lecturer, School of Law, University of California, Berkeley (USA)
The decline of trust in public institutions is not a phenomenon confined to any single border; it is a defining global crisis of the 21st century. From the Americas to Southeast Asia, intensifying political polarization and a growing sense of disillusionment with traditional political institutions are evident. However, to understand the mechanics of this decay, we must look to where the data is most granular.
The rule of law is a vital economic asset for the private sector. Learn how predictable legal systems drive investment, mitigate risk, and why businesses must advocate for judicial independence in an era of global backsliding.
Access free, global justice datasets from the World Justice Project. Download comparable data on access to justice, EU microdata on democratic perceptions, and open justice evaluations in Mexico.
WJP’s people-centered analysis finds injustice and poverty are closely linked, as wealth deprivation fuels cycles of severe legal problems, unmet needs, and hardship.