Weekly Update

Effective access to justice is crucial for ensuring that the Rule of Law benefits everyone. Without it, the legal rights of the more vulnerable members of society will always be at risk. This was powerfully affirmed yesterday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where the Commonwealth Law Ministers' Declaration on Equal Access to Justice was unanimously adopted.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland (who served as Attorney-General in the UK cabinet between 2007 and 2010), explained the connection between the Rule of Law and access to justice in her speech to the assembled Commonwealth ministers, stating that "Even where equal and progressive laws exist, swingeing cuts to legal aid, or lack of legal aid altogether, can impair access to justice, particularly for the most vulnerable. Lack of access to justice then leads to further injustice - with people denied their rights or a voice, unable to fight discrimination and prevented from holding public bodies to account."

Baroness Scotland's words have a message for every Commonwealth state, rich or poor. In the same spirit, the Declaration on Equal Access to Justice does not shy away from the scale of the challenge or the practical complexities of tackling it. Commonwealth ministers have committed to working within a clear timeframe (by 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals call upon states to "provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels") and to support each other in actions such as "the assessment of legal needs and the barriers to access to justice" and the development of "people-friendly approaches to address those barriers, including the use of technology".

At the Bingham Centre, we endeavour to take a similarly people-centred and forward-looking approach to access to justice. This Weekly Update brings you news of our work on the dangers as well as opportunities associated with the digitalisation of court processes in the UK, as well as the need for civic education in schools to empower people to exercise legal rights and participate in the democratic process.

Read our full Weekly Update here