Rule of Law

 

A main challenge in the transition from more autocratic society to a society based on the Rule of Law is ensuring the access of citizens, including those that are the poorest, to the legal system. In transition countries, civil society organizations (CSOs) often play a key role in ensuring this access.

 

ADF assists CSOs (including bar associations) in providing legal services to the needy, increasing access to justice, and promoting the rule of law. ADF’s legal assistance programs encompass a wide range of community-based legal assistance services for the disadvantaged, including women, refugees and displaced persons, victims of human rights abuse, and the poor. These programs serve to provide access to justice for those in rural and poor urban communities, to develop information programs informing citizens of their legal rights and to mobilize these communities in support of legal reforms and the rule of law. Furthermore, ADF works with civil society organizations to promote the practice of pro-bono assistance among established law firms and at law school clinics.

 

ADF’s community-police relations programs develop a respect for the rule of law and contribute to reduced human rights abuse by police authorities through increasing communication and collaboration between communities and their local police forces.

 

Programs in rule of law and legal assistance have been conducted in Croatia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nicaragua, Russia, and Serbia.