Delivering on the promise of people-centred justice: Engaging with customary, informal, and community justice services Webinar within the framework of the Team Europe Democracy (TED)

2024 is a key turning point for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, with the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July likely to highlight inadequate progress toward delivering on the promise of justice for all. Game-changing action is urgently needed. The webinar, co-convened by IDLO, HiiL, and World Justice Project within the framework of the TED Network, shared insights on how customary, informal, and community justice services used by the vast majority of justice seekers can be leveraged for rapid, cost-effective improvements in access to people-centred justice, relevant to all TED stakeholders working on the rule of law. It explored successful models for sustainably scaling and integrating customary, informal, and community justice services into a coherent people-centred justice system that also includes formal institutions.  

Key takeaways: 

• In a context of decreasing global development assistance to the rule of law, it is important to establish a strong evidence base on people’s pathways to justice around the world. Data shows that customary, informal or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are used widely – in some countries vastly outnumbering interactions with the formal justice system – and are generally effective in solving different types of disputes. 

• The benefits of using these mechanisms include their proximity, speed, cost, local legitimacy and cultural resonance, and restorative focus, while challenges include issues around accountability and democratic oversight, rights abrogating practices, and concerns about aid effectiveness. 

• Practical approaches should work in a collaborative, evidence-based manner to scale up best practices to support people-centred justice. This includes empowering justice seekers, training justice providers on compliance with human rights standards, actively advancing women and girls’ participation and leadership in these mechanisms, and engaging with donors to increase funding. 

• The discussion showed that while the interplays between formal and informal justice systems are complex and context-dependent, a negative approach of the former towards the latter can present a significant practical challenge to implementing people-centred programming. Furthermore, long-term legal and financial sustainability of these programmes, as well as compliance with human rights standards, must be addressed. 

Full summary of the webinar can be found in the attachment. The webinar was attended by over 60 participants.