By Khalifa Hemed
Published November 3, 2019
As Kenyans continue to debate whether budget cuts to their judiciary commensurate with its performance with regard to dispensation of justice for all, Law Ministers and Attorneys-General from 53 countries are set to discuss issues such as corruption, poverty, cost of filing cases and distrust of the justice system which are seen as some of the obstacles to seeking and finding justice.
It is estimated that 1.4 billion people around the world are left with unmet civil and administrative justice needs, with the poorest and most marginalised people suffering most. The consequences of these issues, the Commonwealth Secretariat says, can be severe if not addressed.
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“Access to justice for everyone in all communities is an important right and requirement for building fair and peaceful societies – yet this objective has been achieved in few if any nations, and the consequences are damaging for social, economic and political progress and stability,” says Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland. “Our priority has to be to answer the needs of all people, and particularly those such as the poor and unemployed, victims of domestic violence, refugees and disabled or first nation people, whose experience far too often is to feel marginalised or ill-served by judicial processes.”
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The biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting (CLMM), that takes place November 4 – 7, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, shall focus on ‘Equal access to justice and the rule of law’.
The Commonwealth, home to 2.4 billion people that says it ‘helps countries tackle these issues through technical assistance, legal tools and specialised networks’, says the “ministers will discuss potential solutions that look beyond dispute resolution, to equality of outcomes. These include developments in technology, citizen-focused approaches and specialised justice delivery.”
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