Publications
Read and download reports, handbooks, briefing papers, legal and policy submissions, and fact sheets from the Open Society Justice Initiative.
The Global Legal Empowerment Initiative
The UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor estimates that four billion people live outside the protection of the law. The Open Society Foundations are working to strengthen and expand access to the law for all.
September 2012Briefing Paper: Abusing UNESCO
This 10-page briefing paper looks at the threat posed by President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea to the reputation and standing of the UN's educational, scientific and cultural organization.
February 2012Pretrial Justice: Ensuring Fair Treatment for the Poor
James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, set out a range of steps needed to ensure fair treatment of the poor by national justice systems during a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
October 27, 2011Improving Pretrial Justice: The Role of Lawyers and Paralegals
There are many causes for the global over-use of pretrial detention, but there are also cost-effective solutions. As this fact sheet outlines, early intervention by lawyers and paralegals can have a positive impact.
December 2010A Quasi – Experimental Impact Evaluation of a Criminal Justice Paralegal Program in Sierra Leone
A pilot paralegal program launched by Timap for Justice and the Open Society Justice Initiative is providing access to justice to those detained at police stations and prisons in rural Sierra Leone.
December 2010Awaiting Care: Health Risks, Human Rights Abuses and the Need to Reform Pretrial Detention
The excessive use of pretrial detention poses a great risk to public health and human rights. And, as this fact sheet outlines, the health risks affect not only those detained but also societies at large.
December 2010Briefing Paper: The UNESCO-Obiang Prize, Corruption, and Abuse in Equatorial Guinea
This Open Society Justice Initiative briefing paper provides background on the UNESCO-Obiang Prize and problems with corruption and abuse in Equatorial Guinea.
September 2010Corruption and Its Consequences In Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is one of the world's wealthiest nations, yet the country's citizens live in desperate poverty. This OSI paper raises the question: if money from the sale of natural resources isn't benefiting its citizens, where is it going?
March 2010