Community-Level Access to Justice (SL0031)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? This Commitment endeavours to address inadequate Justice delivery services to meet growing demand especially for the most marginalized and deprived sections of the country (2017 Perception Survey on justice delivery) The sector is marred with limited resources; shortage of staff and limited capacity; lack of public trust in the judiciary and police; inadequate funding to support justice sector reform; and poor data and records management systems; overcrowding in correctional centres and Inadequate legal aid services nationwideonce implemented, the commitment will address the aforementioned problems.

What is the commitment? It will ensure that all citizens benefit from a fair, impartial, and effective justice sector through enabling increased access to justice, expedition of justice, protection of human rights, and equal opportunities for economic development. Expected outcomes will be:  Strengthened community engagement in justice service delivery and improved confidence in dispensation of justice.  This commitment will further consolidate the trust in the informal justice mechanisms such as the local courts  The commitment will further help in solidifying the use of community paralegals as articulated In the Legal Aid Act. 2012  Improve information sharing between the formal justice system and informal justice mechanism and vice versa

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem? The Commitment is encapsulated in the sector-wide Justice Sector Reform Strategy and Investment Plan (JSRSIP) and justice sector institutions' strategic plans are linked to the plan. The plan, if implemented, has the potential of improving citizens’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities in accessing justice at a moderate level. The commitment is also set to advance equal access to justice for all at the local level by strengthening legal services available in rural areas

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? This commitment is relevant to the OGP value of public accountability, by making justice mechanisms cheaper, faster, and easier to access. It will also create a platform for strengthening channels where citizens can hold the government accountable

Additional information

Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable Start Date: End Date: A justice centre is established with data aggregation system that promotes interaction between community justice providers and the formal justice system Jan 2022 Dec 2022 Recruitment of 10 local courts personnel Dec 2021 Dec 2022 Finalization and roll out of the Diversion and Alternatives to Detention Framework for Children through public engagements in all police stations nationwide Dec 2021 Dec 2022 Recruitment & Deployment of 30 State Counsels Dec 2021 Dec 2022 NAP III Commitment on training of paralegals Jan 2022 Jun 2023

Action Plan Review

Commitment 2. Access to Justice

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? Yes

● Potential for results: Modest