What we do | |
Equal Access to Justice |
|
The first phase of the Equal Access to Justice Project supported interventions targeting both officials and disadvantaged groups. It targeted officials so that they became better able to deal with grievances experienced by disadvantaged groups, and disadvantaged groups so that they had increased knowledge of their rights and were able to access and benefit from legal services. The project increased focus on vulnerable groups concentrated in conflict affected areas and the estate sector, and supported initiatives aimed at increasing protection for pre-trial detainees. In addition, a key strategic initiative in 2008 was a baseline survey for the A2J sector that will help inform future interventions and strengthen monitoring and evaluation efforts.
Objectives
- 40,000 National Identity Cards provided through mobile documentation clinics targeting tsunami and conflict affected populations, and estate sector workers. The mobile clinics also provided other key legal documents essential for ensuring access to basic services such as birth, death and marriage certificates and citizenship papers.
- Issuance of 2,850 land titles in 2007 to people that had waited over 10 years: In Pallama DS division in Puttalam district, access to land titles was identified by the Regional Committee as the most pressing justice issue. The project, therefore, supported the Land Commissioner to expedite the processing of titles through training GNs, and land officers from relevant Government offices on laws and procedures relating to authorization of land titles and through providing support for the information and inquiry processes. This system was replicated in Anamaduwa, Mahakumbukkadawala and Rasnayakapur
- Provision of legal aid to vulnerable populations through support to the Bar Association to establish 20 Legal Aid Foundation Offices, and support to other partners (CSHR, LAC, Sarvodaya Legal Services Movement, The Sri Lanka Law College and Open University of Sri Lanka) for the conduct of mobile legal aid services at the community level as well as in major prisons.
- Installation of a computerized database system in Welikada prison to manage previously paper based prisoner records. The database intends to increase the efficiency of the prison administration system and thereby improve the welfare and conditions of the inmates. Further it provides valuable information at the press of the button to enable prison administration and other policy makers to design plans and strategies for the prison system.
- Initiation of a policy reform process in the legal aid sector to provide a more sustainable and far reaching system, through support for a forward looking review of the sector in conjunction with key partners including the Ministry of Justice, The Asia Foundation and UNHCR.
- Duty bearers provided with accessible legal information: The project printed, published and distributed legal information booklets in Sinhala and Tamil on issues including child rights, women’s rights, domestic violence, court systems and grievance redress mechanisms, laws of Sri Lanka and human rights, mediation, etc. In addition, the project provided an e-law CD with a search engine containing case law and legislative enactments to all judicial officers in 2006.
Project Details
| Status |
Complete |
| Start date-end date |
2004- 28 February 2009 |
| Duration |
5 Years |
| Budget |
Total: US $ US$3,073,493 |
| Delivery |
|
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
|
172,845.30 |
573,972.29 |
671,422.54 |
603,358.14 |
121,714.94 |
|
| Geographic focus |
National |
| Donors |
UNDP, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Australia (Ausaid) and the Netherlands Minister for Development Co-operation |
| Implementing partners |
Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, Legal Aid Commission (LAC), Sarvodaya, Legal Aid Foundation, CSHR
|
|
|
Project Document
Related Links
Contact Person
|