In New Article, Goldston Considers Need for Fresh Approach to Rule of Law Reform

NEW YORK—In a new article, "The Rule of Law at Home and Abroad," Open Society Justice Initiative executive director James A. Goldston states the need for a new approach to rule of law reform—one that emphasizes local expertise and mutual learning between the global north and south.

Writing in the debut issue of The Hague Journal on the Rule of Law, Goldston argues that, "Rule of law problems are too vast, complex and inter-related not to draw upon the experience and expertise of actors from all corners of the globe. But for that to happen, we must begin to think about rule of law reform as something that happens not only 'there' but 'here' as well."

Goldston notes the often artificial distinction between domestic justice reform in the global north and rule of law reform in the south and finds that this artificial distinction undermines the effectiveness of rule of law reform efforts in three ways:

• Too much decision-making power is held by "a narrow and unrepresentative set of actors;"
• Too many programs are "funded and designed by administrators for use in countries other than their own;" and
• Too often, donor nations in the global north fail to reap "the potential benefits of reverse knowledge transfers" from the south.