As the year comes to a close, we look back at Justice Rising's top ten most popular blog posts of 2013. From the regulatory crisis in Bangladeshi factories to whether the rule of law indeed makes people happy, enjoy the best of the WJP blog. 

Securing the Rule of Law at the Grass Roots: the WJP Index as a Tool to Improve Protection of Human and Worker Rights

January 29, 2013 | "Today's labor movement is an integral part of the larger American social justice movement that seeks to include all workers under the protections of the rule of law. American unions are determined to ensure that the rule of law is fully realized for workers and other ordinary citizens, especially for the most vulnerable in our society, and is more than just an ornament of foreign policy rhetoric." - Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO

Women with Disabilities and the Justice System: Rights without Remedies

February 20, 2013 | "Women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence than non-disabled women, over a longer period, resulting in more severe injuries.  Their abuser may also be their caregiver; someone relied on for care or mobility.  In various ways the justice system itself (and therefore the state) perpetrates and/or condones the violence through various barriers. " - Stephanie Ortoleva, Esq. President, Women Enabled

Meet the Winners of our Opportunity Fund Competition!

April 22, 2013 | "Applicants from 67 countries proposed solutions to critical issues ranging from protecting the rights of migrant workers to combatting corruption. Each applicant used data from the WJP's Rule of Law Index to identify areas where the rule of law was weak and could be improved. Winners were selected for their innovative approach, as well as the potential reach and impact of their proposals." - WJP Staff

The Rule of Law Index: an Action Planning Tool for Global Civil Society

April 11, 2013 | "The Rule of Law Index truly comes alive when citizens are given the opportunity to analyze information and shape implementation with their own aspirations and situational context. In each case, the story is not simply about the Index and its findings, but the unique power that is mobilized by committed civil servants in pursuit of the rule of law." - WJP Staff

The Responsibility to Use Information

April 11, 2013 | "Experience from around the world indicates that passing RTI or FoI laws is an important step- but is only the beginning of a much larger process. It is the responsibility of citizens themselves to use this information to hold governments to account." - Blair Glencorse, Executive Director, Accountability Lab

Bangladesh- Regulatory Enforcement in Crisis: Part II

"Appropriate and effective enforcement requires that there be no opportunity for public or private meddling, and that regulatory proceedings are conducted in a timely way that respects the due process of law." - WJP Staff

Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law: A Universal Medium for a Universal Message

May 6, 2013 | "Beatrice's dominance in the film allows viewers to be inspired by her passion for the law and to understand why she risks her life upholding the law. Using the law to make others accountable and to make a difference is a universal message--one that extends far beyond Zimbabwe's borders." - Lorie Conway, Director/Producer, Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law.

India's landmark Right to Information Act under threat: Will it still be world's largest democracy without accountability?

July 31, 2013 | "People use the RTI law for everything from inquiring why a long-promised road hasn't been built in their village, to getting access to subsidized housing loans without having to pay a bribe, to determining whether public health workers are actually showing up at their clinics. For many in India, the RTI helped provide legal empowerment by giving ordinary citizens the feeling that the government is accountable to them." - WJP Staff

Does the ROL make you happy?

September 17, 2013 | "According to the UN's second annual World Happiness report, the world has overall become a slightly happier and more generous place over the past five years. This made us curious; how does a country's happiness compare to its level of rule of law and how might these two concepts be related?" - WJP Staff

Zurich to Dubai: Big Cities and the Rule of Law

December 4, 2013 | "A good legal infrastructure and institution building are just as important as material infrastructure and GDP growth if we are to measure human progress." - Former Chief Justice Ellen Gracie Northfleet, WJP Hon Chair, Brazil

WJP Staff


 

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