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)
How can U.S. bar leaders and lawyers take an active role in addressing the nation’s significant rule of law challenges? That was the topic of a recent 21st Century Lawyer program hosted by the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP) in partnership with the World Justice Project (WJP) Lawyers Defending American Democracy, the Divided Community Project at Ohio State University, and the American Bar Association (ABA).
Last month, in Mexico City’s historic center, a diverse group of state and federal officials took the stage to explore what’s working to improve the rule of law in Mexico. Addressing an audience of policymakers, donors, advocates, and business leaders, the officials discussed progress such as reduced corruption in the state of Sinaloa, safer communities in Chihuahua, greater access to justice in Querétaro, enhanced regulatory enforcement in Sonora, and improved labor protections across the country.
2024 is a pivotal year for democracy, with over 60 countries electing leaders to govern nearly half the world's population. But despite the possibility of record voter turnout, these elections are unfolding amidst a global rule of law recession that is accelerating democratic decline.