Technology

The Invisibles is the first digital identity project that focuses on the standards needed to facilitate the
scaling of digital identity projects beyond local populations. This session presented and gathered feedback
on: case studies where secure, trusted digital identities for doctors in the UK and refugees in the Middle
East have been built; proposed standards for creation, verification, and use of standards for creating digital
identities for disenfranchised populations; and an expanded vision of access to justice in the digital age.
Speakers emphasized that it is critical that access to justice be understood as more than just access to
courts and formal legal systems, but also include access to basic human rights related to identity: the right
to exist, the right to control one’s identity, and the right to have access to opportunity The session
highlighted a number of methods to improve the provision of digital identity including creating a
standardized system, using vaccination records, and leveraging a distributed multi-organizational approach. 

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Key tasks for these sessions will be to articulate the narrative regarding justice and its relationship to other outcomes to support future advocacy, developing strategies for promoting key messages and themes in important venues and communities, articulating metrics for measuring progress, and defining what success will look like. 

Working Sessions are concurrent workshops, interactive dialogues and facilitated discussions hosted by a variety of Hague-based institutions around pressing issues and opportunities related to the Forum’s theme of “Realizing Justice for All.” 

Working Sessions are concurrent workshops, interactive dialogues and facilitated discussions hosted by a wide variety of global and local institutions around pressing issues and opportunities related to the Forum’s theme of “Realizing Justice for All.” 

Participants will learn from justice sector case studies, movements in other sectors, and communications experts how to better understand, practice, and deploy the wide range of communications tools and techniques available to achieve their messaging goals.

Working Sessions are concurrent workshops, interactive dialogues and facilitated discussions hosted by a wide variety of global and local institutions around pressing issues and opportunities related to the Forum’s theme of “Realizing Justice for All.” 

Artificial intelligence is a subset of computer science that is trying to emulate human behavior, and presents numerous opportunities for solving justice problems. In a data-driven world, data transformations that integrate AI are a crucial way for organizations to enhance speed and accelerate time to value. Hewlett Packard Enterprise proposed the following road map for undertaking any data transformation: 1) Implement a modern data foundation (ingest, process, and manage a high velocity data pool.) 2) Transform data collected into insights 3) Predict and anticipate possible future events and support or automate decisions and actions applying AI. Once AI has been integrated into existing applications, it is fundamental that organizations do not allow their AI systems to remain static. The data used for AI processes needs to consistently be re-trained and supported. Finally, at the core of data transformation initiatives are ethical principles, such as the European Commission for Efficiency of Justice Ethical Charter, which organizations must refer to and abide by when integrating artificial intelligence into their work.

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This session explored emerging evidence of how legal technologies can be made both used and useful in expanding access to justice. It drew on research and practice experience, and discussed the key elements that separate effective technology-based justice interventions from those that are less effective. JustFix.nyc and Haqdarshak served as case studies to showcase how organizations can successfully integrate technological platforms in their work with clients to serve their justice needs in the housing and public benefits contexts. Haqdarshak, for example, trains local entrepreneurs to operate the platform, who collect service fees for its operation, making a sustainable model for the system. JustFix.nyc has an online platform that uses data and technology to fight displacement and expand access to justice. It can automate formal complaints against landlords for neglected repairs or to report harassment, with the aim to correct the legal imbalance between tenants and landlords. The idea behind both start-ups was to use technology to solve problems that everyday citizens face. Not to change laws, but to facilitate access to services, build accountability, and empower citizens.  

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Finding relevant, case-specific, jurisdiction-accurate legal information online can be a challenge. Legal
information portals aim to change that. The Legal Navigator portal pilots in Alaska and Hawaii hope to
provide an exhaustive resource that helps a user ask, refine, learn, and connect as they navigate a legal
issue. The Legal Navigator has several features that support a non-expert seeking legal help. The
technology was built with a mobile-first approach, making the technology easy to use for individuals
seeking legal information on their cellphones. The Legal Navigator is an open-source tool, making the
technology accessible for future projects and any courts hoping to implement it. The session also explored
the assessment of the Navigator’s use, effectiveness, and cost through an evaluation framework. The
ultimate goal of the evaluation framework is to understand which pathways are most efficient and
effective. The session described the project from concept to pilot, discussed plans and enhancements for
future portal projects, and considered the challenges and opportunities of evaluating such efforts.
Ultimately, the opportunities the portal provides extend beyond the legal domain to the social services and
health fields. Collecting data on help seeking behavior for legal problems offers an opportunity to highlight
unmet needs that can drive public policy change more broadly.

Read the full summary for this working session. 

Read the full summary for this working session.