We seek to document what happens when pretrial justice systems fail, and to develop and share cost-effective ways to get them working.

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.

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.

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.

16 civil society groups called on the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights to work to end excessive use of pretrial detention.

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.

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.

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.