Government

The press reports concerning the re-emergence of vigilantism in the form of Cape Flats kangaroo courts, some involving children too, suggest that it is time to consider some of the causes of vigilantism. It is worthwhile to reflect upon the conditions in society which give rise to the levels of frustration, and indeed anger, which permit vigilantism to flourish when ordinary folk take the law into their own hands.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been successful on many levels. They could be understood by all. They could be implemented universally. They have become the development horizon for 140 governments in the South and the coherent cooperation agenda for another 50 governments of the North.

As the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index® illustrates, a country’s adherence to international standards for the rule of law depends on both written laws and actual compliance. Governments that respect and enforce the rule of law and actively work to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens will be more successful in protecting human rights and, importantly, will be perceived as being more fair and legitimate.

It is a bad week for the rule of law in South Africa when in the space of two days President Zuma and the Judicial Service Commission both reveal that they have scant regard for their respective duties to uphold the rule of law. The president is clearly bound by a Supreme Court of Appeal judgment that requires the National Prosecuting Authority to make a redacted record of what was under consideration by it when it was decided to stop the prosecution of the president on over 700 charges of corruption in 2009.

Ensuring the rule of law means people have access to justice. In a recent report, HiiL and its network of rule of law experts and innovators reviewed the state of the art. Legal needs research has shown that civil justice and administrative justice are delivered by a great many providers of services: public courts and private legal services; formal procedures and informal ones; traditional processes and innovative approaches. Together, these services provide access to justice, but providers of such services face some major challenges.

For those of us in the direct line of Hurricane Sandy, it seems appropriate to highlight recent developments in international disaster law.

The rights of migrant workers have become one of the defining human rights issues in Southeast Asia, as the number of workers on the move has risen dramatically in recent decades.

I would like to explore a new rule of law with you. A funny one. One that could confront you in the future (but you won’t know that until that future is there).

Recognizing that legal aid “is an essential element of a fair, humane and efficient criminal justice system that is based on the rule of law,” the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice adopted the first international instrument on legal aid on April 27, 2012. The Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems (“Principles and Guidelines”) aim to ensure that states adopt measures and establish systems that provide persons accused of crimes with prompt and effective legal aid services.

On June 18 of 2012 the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) in Bolivia issued a ruling[i] which many had hoped would resolve an ongoing situation of violent social conflict which has questioned the State’s position on the rights of indigenous peoples for close to a decade.  The issue under debate is the construction of a road through the indigenous territory known as the Isiboro Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park –TIPNIS, inhabited since before the Spanish colonization by the Chimán, Yuracaré and Mojeño-Trinitario indigeno

PILnet has been working to build public interest law in China for almost ten years. It’s been a fascinating period of our history, one that has taught us much about the virtues of patience and unhurried determination. As we’ve learned, things can move slowly in China, and public interest work in China can move very slowly indeed.

The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world. In spite of the verbosity of its constitution, that sovereign state is home to the world’s largest number of illiterate persons (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Report 2011). Despite some recent economic advances, this state presents a Greek tragedy of stone-hearted indifference to arguably the largest number of disadvantaged people in a country.

Relying on strong and longstanding partnerships with local organizations, The World Justice Project convened a taskforce of Tunisian leaders from business, government and civil society in Tunis on May 28, 2012, to assess rule of law opportunities and challenges facing Tunisia during the ongoing reform process.

Bernama- Malaysian National News Agency

In 2002, Uganda introduced free health care for all in public health facilities. It was such a welcome move especially for the poor segments of society.

The importance of the (inter)national rule of law for peace, fairness, and economic growth is generally acknowledged inside and outside the United Nations. However, there is mounting scepticism regarding the success of rule of law promotion by the UN and other international organizations and donors at the national and international levels during the past two decades.