Publications
Read and download reports, handbooks, briefing papers, legal and policy submissions, and fact sheets from the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Community-Based Paralegals: A Practitioner’s Guide
This how-to guide provides information on all aspects of establishing and operating a community-based paralegal program, from assessing a community’s needs to training paralegals and resolving justice problems.
December 2010ECOWAS Community Court of Justice
Learn more about the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice, which has accepted the submission of individual complaints for human rights violations since 2005.
June 2013East African Court of Justice
Learn more about the East African Court of Justice, which hears cases on violations of the rule of law, one of the fundamental and operational principles set out in the East African Community Treaty.
June 2013Fact Sheet: Pretrial Detention and Corruption
Locking up prisoners for extended periods while awaiting trial feeds corruption; bribes are needed for food and water, for blankets and even to see a lawyer.
February 2013Fact Sheet: Pretrial Detention and the Risk of Torture
Of the nearly ten million people in detention around the world, those held before trial or conviction are most at risk of torture.
February 2013Fact Sheet: Pretrial Justice and Paralegals in Sierra Leone
The majority of Sierra Leone's prison population is in pretrial detention. To reduce the numbers, a local NGO is piloting a prorgam that provides early legal assistance to criminal defendants.
February 2013France’s Biens Mal Acquis Affair: Lessons from a Decade of Legal Struggle
Teodorin Obiang, vice president of Equatorial Guinea, is facing trial in Paris on money laundering and corruption charges—due almost entirely to a 10-year legal campaign by French anti-corruption groups.
May 2017Improving 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 2010