Background: What is a community paralegal?
Community paralegals are dedicated to legal empowerment: they help people to understand, use, and shape the law. These advocates are called different names in different places – including “grassroots legal advocate,” “barefoot lawyer,” “community legal worker,” or a host of other titles. They are trained in law and policy and in skills like mediation, organizing, and advocacy.
Although they often are called “community paralegals,” they are not the kind of paralegals who primarily serve as lawyers’ assistants. These paralegals work with clients to seek concrete solutions to instances of injustice, often at the community or administrative levels. They form a dynamic, creative frontline that can engage formal and traditional institutions alike. Moreover, Just as primary health workers are connected to doctors, community paralegals are often connected to lawyers who may help pursue litigation or high-level advocacy if frontline methods fail.
About this resource guide
The guide below is a collection of national paralegal research briefs that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals in different countries, and how that work is recognized and funded by the government. The research briefs are accompanied by supporting national-level resources and laws related to community paralegals.
The briefs in this series focus on the types of community paralegals who have been formally recognized either in law or policy. We acknowledge that this is just a small part of a much larger picture: a broader, dynamic ecosystem of community paralegals operates effectively without state recognition in many countries. We aim to one day expand our research to offer a more comprehensive analysis of this larger universe. For now, however, our research briefs are limited to community paralegals who have been formally recognized by law or policy.
By better understanding national recognition and financing of paralegals across various contexts, practitioners can gain valuable insight to build and strengthen legal empowerment programs elsewhere. Legal empowerment expands meaningful, people-centered access to justice across the globe. This guide offers comparative analysis to support practitioners to strengthen and innovate on their existing efforts.
Contributions to the guide
Each of these briefs is a living document– if you have an update, addition or a correction, please contact us at community@namati.org. You can also submit national research on community paralegals by country or region to add to each section below. New briefs will be added on an on-going basis as they are researched, revised, and published.
The original desk research for each research brief was provided by the international law firm, White & Case LLP. Every brief has also been written with consultation and input from national experts who are directly involved with grassroots legal advocates in their country.
This resource guide offers an in depth look at recognition of community paralegals across the globe. Included within it are research briefs that outline the status of community paralegals in various countries. Additional resources and laws are also included as supplementary reading materials to provide a fuller picture of community paralegal recognition in each country.
Community paralegals, also known as “barefoot lawyers,” are dedicated to legal empowerment: they help people to know, use, and shape the law. These advocates are trained in basic law and in skills like mediation, organizing, education, and advocacy. Below are some introductory resources on community paralegals.
Introduction to Paralegal Programs
Includes useful information on the history and role of paralegals around the world.
Beyond Rule of Law Orthodoxy: The Legal Empowerment Alternative
Carnegie Endowment paper questioning the validity of a top down rule of law development approach, instead advocating engagement with civil society and the poor.
Legal Empowerment: Practitioners’ Perspectives
This is a book on legal empowerment approaches to justice and development in ways that benefit the poor and other disadvantaged populations. It is part of the IDLO book series “Lessons Learned: Narrative Accounts of Legal Reform in Developing and Transition Countries.” Consistent with the animating question of this series, IDLO seeks to identify legal…
Community-Based Paralegals: A Practitioner’s Guide
Paralegals can be a powerful tool of justice, helping to resolve disputes and empower individual clients and whole communities. Living and working in the communities they serve, community-based paralegals combine their knowledge of the formal justice system with mediation and community education to help the poor and marginalized address their justice problems. Less expensive than…
Timap for Justice: A Paralegal Approach to Justice Services in Sierra Leone
In this book, criminal justice practitioners from around the world explore practical ways of delivering legal aid in criminal justice matters to the poorest sectors of African and other developing societies. They articulate a broad and inclusive definition of legal aid, call on governments, in partnership with civil society, to provide legal aid at all stages in the criminal justice process, to recognise the role of informal means of conflict resolution, including traditional forums, to diversify legal aid service providers, and to encourge legal empowerment of all citizens. The book also contains the Lilongwe Declaration on Accessing Legal Aid in the Criminal Justice System in Africa and the Lilongwe Plan of Action, as well as excerpts from other key international declarations and guidelines pertaining to the treatment of ordinary people caught up in the criminal justice system.
Vivek Maru’s chapter discusses Timap for Justice, and the organization’s efforts to provide justice services in Sierra Leone through paralegals.
I feel empowered, I know my rights: Communities empowered by peer educators and paralegals
This report is based on the experience and knowledge of people working in a diverse range of peer education and paralegal programs who were interviewed for this project. Participants interviewed worked in organisations supporting, educating and empowering communities in Victoria, Australia and overseas: in the Philippines, Cambodia, Eastern Europe and South Africa. The power of…
To Whom Do The People Take Their Issues? The Contribution of Community-Based Paralegals to Access to Justice in South Africa
This report documents the impact of twelve paralegal-assisted cases in South Africa.
We Can: The Stories of Paralegals’ Search for Identity, Efforts, Success and Ongoing Struggle for Legitimization
In this collection of personal paralegal accounts, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) seeks to capture the experiences of paralegals in Gujarat, India as a model for other non-governmental organizations. These narratives argue that if justice delivery mechanisms hope to overcome case backlogs and other inefficiencies, paralegals must be recognized as equal partners in the…
These resources outline the use, recognition, and importance of community paralegals in greater detail through impact evidence and academic journal articles, though the list is by no means exhaustive.
Justice for All: The report of the Task Force on Justice
At the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development lies a vision of a “just, equitable, tolerant, open and socially inclusive world in which the needs of the most vulnerable are met.” Justice is a thread that runs through all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Without increased justice, the world will not be able…
What do we know about legal empowerment? Mapping the Evidence
For the first time we review here all available evidence on civil society-led legal empowerment efforts, defined as those that seek to increase the capacity of people to exercise their rights and to participate in processes of governing. To our knowledge this is the first review of its kind. There is substantial evidence available on…
Making the Law Work for Everyone: Report of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor
This report is the culmination of the work of the United Nations Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor. The Commission proposes a comprehensive agenda for legal empowerment encompassing four crucial pillars that must be central in efforts to provide protection and opportunities to the poor. From the Forward: Making the Law Work for Everyone…
Between Law and Society: Paralegals and the Provision of Justice Services in Sierra Leone and Worldwide
Efforts to advance justice and improve the rule of law can be divided into two categories. One set of efforts—by far the better funded and more established of the two—focuses on state institutions, on improving the effectiveness and fairness of the courts, the legislature, the police, the health and education systems, etc. A second set of efforts, sometimes termed legal empowerment, focuses on directly assisting ordinary people, especially the poor, who face justice problems.
This Essay argues that the institution of the paralegal offers a promising methodology of legal empowerment that fits between legal education and legal representation, one that maintains a focus on achieving concrete solutions to people’s justice problems but which employs, in addition to litigation, the more flexible, creative tools of social movements.
Best Practices of Community Legal Advice Programs, Program Assessment and Recommendation
The goal of this handbook is to provide the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and the Carter Center with information and recommendations as they expand and improve the Community Legal Advisor program. The handbook presents best practices of community-based paralegal and legal advice organizations in developing economies and post-conflict settings in Africa and Asia, and…
Access to justice in Southern Africa: Advocacy for the recognition of paralegals as professionals in SADC region
This position paper is by the Southern African Legal Assistance Network (SALAN) on the importance of recognizing Paralegals as professionals in SADC region in order to increase access to justice to the marginalized South Africans. The paper highlights the origin of paralegals, objectives, the current status of paralegals, important issues for consideration in so far…
Developing a portfolio of financially sustainable, scalable basic legal service models – Final report
This study develops a framework for thinking about how basic legal service interventions addressing problems of a civil and administrative nature can be taken to scale in a sustainable manner to enable improved access to justice for people living in the most vulnerable Low Income Countries (LICs) and/or Fragile and Conflict-affected States (FCAS). The framework…
Developing a portfolio of financially sustainable, scalable basic legal service models – Briefing paper
This briefing paper summarises the findings of a recent study funded by the Open Society Foundations and International Development Research Centre which, against the backdrop of the Sustainable Goals for Development (SDGs), develops a framework for thinking about how basic legal service interventions can be taken to scale in a sustainable manner to enable improved…
Developing a portfolio of financially sustainable, scalable basic legal service models – Costing methodology paper
This methodological paper sets out an approach to costing the delivery of basic legal services at scale as applied to a range of basic legal service models in a recent study funded by the Open Society Foundations and International Development Research Centre. The study developed a broader framework for thinking about how basic legal service…
The Americas do not have any countries that fully recognize the role of community paralegals, but some US states and Canadian provinces do recognize these advocates in their respective systems. The brief for the province of Ontario, Canada is below.
Briefs for the province of British Columbia, Canada and the US States of California, New York, and Washington are currently under development.
The provinces of Canada have diverse recognition schemes in place for community paralegals. In Ontario, these advocates are generally referred to as "community legal workers" and work at community legal clinics throughout the province.
Ontario, Canada Community Paralegals: Recognition and Financing Research Brief
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In Ontario, Canada, community paralegals are recognized in administrative documents in connection with Legal Aid Ontario’s funding of Community Legal Clinics (CLCs). They are referred…
The Community Legal Clinic Movement in Ontario: Practice and Theory, Means and Ends
This paper is an account of the experience of a progressive movement which hints at the possibility of a different way of thinking about social change — one that replaces the problem of aligning theory and practice with an immersion in practical, localized struggles which nevertheless can be guided by general principles. In particular, it…
Community Justice: Ontario
On the second Tuesday of every month in a small store-front office in the town of Bancroft, in eastern Ontario, two lawyers offer legal advice to mostly low-income clients with a range of mostly everyday problems: arguments with a landlord; disputes with an employer; difficulties claiming social assistance; and much more. The advice is free, and…
Community Legal Needs Assessment: Examining the Need for Justice for Low-Income Residents of Lennox and Addington County
Legal clinic staff employing a “community action research” model met with a broad cross-section of residents and service providers to learn more about the unique legal needs and challenges facing people living on a low income in Lennox & Addington County. While legal clinics must clearly place priority on meeting the legal needs of people…
Your Legal Rights
This resource provides a simplified yet accessible and detailed information on a variety of legal topics for the purposes of services, training, and general awareness and education.
Better Legal Education Handbook: Practical Tips for Community Workers
The handbook considers the issues involved in producing information about the law for the public, gives examples of what works, and provides practical advice on how to develop and complete a project. In doing this, we hope to stimulate debate on the best ways to produce legal information and improve the general quality of what’s…
Paralegals and Legal Aid Organizations
This article outlines the findings of the study which focused on the nature of the work performed by paralegals; the training undertaken and available for paralegals; and the status and role of paralegals within the legal system, and discusses some of the current issues involved in the use of paralegals in legal aid agencies and looks…
Resources for Community Workers
This is a list of legal publications and resources that are available online through external websites; they are helpful for community workers who are engaged in anti-violence work.
Engaging the Power of Community to Expand Legal Services for Low Income Ontarians
The clinic–intermediary partnerships/legal health check-up is an approach to service delivery that recognizes the need to create a strong mechanism to achieve outreach and to provide holistic and integrated services to disadvantaged people. This is a response to a solid body of research, consistent with much clinical experience by practitioners that shows there is a high…
The Legal Health Check-Up Project Summary
The LHC Project was developed in 2013-2014 by Halton Community Legal Services (HCLS), a small Legal Aid Ontario community legal clinic that currently operates in Oakville, Ontario. Research shows that legal service delivery fails dramatically if clients must find their own way to legal aid offices. The Legal Health Check-Up Project (the “LHC Project”) was developed…
Extending the Reach of Legal Aid: Report on the Pilot Phase of the Hamilton Legal Health Check-Up Project
The Legal Health Check-Up project is being developed by Halton Community Legal Services (HCLS), a small clinic that is part of the Legal Aid Ontario community clinic system. The intermediary partnerships that are the foundation of the Legal Health Check-Up (LHC) project are a solid platform for developing a legal service delivery model targeted at people…
Delivering Community Justice Services at Scale: Ontario, Canada
Around the world governments and civil society organizations are partnering to deliver community based legal assistance at scale. This series of five country cases from Canada, Moldova, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Ukraine highlights a spectrum of efforts to sustainably institutionalize the delivery of community based legal services. In Canada’s federal system, each province is…
Africa includes many countries that have formally recognized community paralegals in various forms nationally. Research briefs for Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone are included below.
Briefs for Tanzania, South Africa, and Uganda are currently under development.
In Kenya, community paralegals are recognized in the Legal Aid Act of 2016. They are referred to formally as “paralegals.”
Kenya Community Paralegals: Recognition and Financing Research Brief
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In Kenya, community paralegals are recognized in the Legal Aid Act of 2016. They are referred to formally as “paralegals.” The first briefs published for…
Kenya Legal Aid Act 2016
Kenyan Legal Aid Act of 2016. The role of paralegals is discussed on page 37, where it is stated that, “68 (1) An accredited paralegal employed by the Service or supervised by an accredited body may provide legal advice and assistance in accordance with this Act.”
Best Practices of Community Legal Advice Programs, Program Assessment and Recommendation
The goal of this handbook is to provide the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and the Carter Center with information and recommendations as they expand and improve the Community Legal Advisor program. The handbook presents best practices of community-based paralegal and legal advice organizations in developing economies and post-conflict settings in Africa and Asia, and…
Citizenship Case Record Form – Namati Paralegal Materials
An example of a one-page case tracking form, also known as a case management form or intake form, focusing on issues of citizenship and identity documentation. Used by paralegals to document work with individual clients,
Paralegal Training Pre-Test
A sample pre-test of 20 questions to be administered to paralegals before training.
Access to Justice and Legal Aid in East Africa: A comparison of the legal aid schemes used in the region and the level of cooperation and coordination between the various actors
This report, which has been carried out by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, based on a cooperation with the East Africa Law Society, presents a comparative analysis of access to justice and legal aid in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The study is part of the follow-up process to the December 2008 Kigali Conference on Access to Justice and…
Paralegal Case Summary Template
This resource is a paralegal case summary template by KELIN focusing on palliative care and legal services in Kenya.
Namati Paralegal Materials: Case Recording Exercise
This exercise for paralegals in training is focused on issues of citizenship and identity documentation and provides a sample client story based along with a corresponding blank case intake form.
Accessing Justice and Protecting Rights of the Vulnerable through Cultural Structures: A Tool On Working With Elders in Communities
A model for working with cultural structures when intervening in human rights violations, particularly with regards to land transactions and other family disputes.
Access to justice: evaluating law, health and human rights programmes in Kenya
In Kenya, human rights violations have a marked impact on the health of people living with HIV. Integrating legal literacy and legal services into healthcare appears to be an effective strategy to empower vulnerable groups and address underlying determinants of health. The authors carried out an evaluation to collect evidence about the impact of legal…
The Paralegal’s Handbook – PASUNE
This handbook has been developed by the Paralegal Support Network (PASUNE). PASUNE as a network of leading human rights organizations involved in paralegal training has been working towards standardizing the content and methods of training paralegals in Kenya. As part of that process in the year 2003 it developed a curriculum for community paralegal workers….
In Malawi, community paralegals are recognized in the Legal Aid Act of 2010 as "Legal Aid Assistants". Other grassroots legal advocates operate outside of the "legal aid assistant scheme", deployed by civil society organizations, and are known as "paralegals".
Malawi Community Paralegals: Recognition and Financing Research Brief
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. Malawi’s Legal Aid Act recognizes “Legal Aid Assistants,” who are not qualified as legal practitioners, but are authorized to work full-time as a service provider with…
Malawi Legal Aid Act, 2010
Malawi’s Legal Aid Act, passed in 2010, created an independent Legal Aid Bureau and formally recognized the role of legal aid assistants. Legal aid assistants must have a requisite minimum level of legal education and can have a broad range of legal responsibilities in communities.
Energising the Criminal Justice System in Malawi: A Paralegal Aid Service
This resource is produced by the Paralegal Advisory Service (PAS) in collaboration with Penal Reform International (PRI). It is a short, readable and detailed introduction to paralegal work. It explains what paralegals are, the work they do, the cornerstones of their method and their importance within the Malawian context. Furthermore, the report contains an evaluation…
Justice Delayed in Malawi’s Criminal Justice System: Paralegals vs. Lawyers
International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences article examines the work of NGOs in Malawi, exposing the abuses and failings of Malawi’s legal system.
Using the Courts to Protect Vulnerable People: Perspectives from the Judiciary and Legal Profession in Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia
Vulnerable groups are generally understood to be people who are easily susceptible to discrimination, marginalisation or criticism. These groups experience socio-economic and attitudinal barriers which hamper their ability to exercise their rights. In such cases, there is a need for protection by the state, including the courts, in order to avoid exploitation or harm. This…
A Human Right to Legal Aid
This publication examines the connection between provision of legal aid services and realization of human rights guarantees through a series of thematic and country-specific articles, drawn from experiences of authors from 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. The Kyiv Declaration on the Right to Legal Aid, 2007, is attached as an appendix to…
Empowering the Poor to Access Criminal Justice: A Grass Roots Perspective
IDLO working paper describes the origin, strategy, and impact of the Paralegal Advisory Service in Malawi, and how their low cost method of providing legal services has been replicated.
Access to justice in Southern Africa: Advocacy for the recognition of paralegals as professionals in SADC region
This position paper is by the Southern African Legal Assistance Network (SALAN) on the importance of recognizing Paralegals as professionals in SADC region in order to increase access to justice to the marginalized South Africans. The paper highlights the origin of paralegals, objectives, the current status of paralegals, important issues for consideration in so far…
Best Practices of Community Legal Advice Programs, Program Assessment and Recommendation
The goal of this handbook is to provide the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and the Carter Center with information and recommendations as they expand and improve the Community Legal Advisor program. The handbook presents best practices of community-based paralegal and legal advice organizations in developing economies and post-conflict settings in Africa and Asia, and…
In Nigeria, Paralegals are provided some formal recognition under Nigeria’s Legal Aid Act of 2011. Paralegals operate mostly in civil matters.
Nigeria Community Paralegals: Recognition & Financing
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In Nigeria, Paralegals are provided some formal recognition under Nigeria’s Legal Aid Act of 2011. Paralegals operate mostly in civil matters. The first briefs published for…
Nigerian Legal Aid Act 2011
The Legal Aid Act of 2011 provides for the establishment of a legal aid and access to justice fund. Through the fund, financial assistance is made available to the Legal Aid Council on behalf of indigent citizens for the prosecution of claims in accordance with the Constitution. The Act empowers the Legal Aid Council with…
Nigeria Community-Based Paralegal Training Manual
The purpose of this paralegal training manual is to provide basic instructions and skills for would–be community-based paralegals in Northern Nigeria to offer legal first aid to victims of human rights violations. We took into consideration that accessing justice goes beyond access to the courts and law enforcement, and concluded that community-based paralegals would be…
Facilitator’s Manual for Paralegal Training on Improving Women’s Access to Justice in Northern Nigeria
The facilitator’s manual is designed by the Global Rights to support trainers involved in the Women’s Access to Justice Project for Northern Nigeria. It is accompanied by the ‘Handout on Improving Women’s Access to Justice in Northern Nigeria’. The manual is one of the core tools by the Global Rights to promote women’s access to justice in Northern Nigeria….
Case Intake Form (IWEI)
This resource by Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative is a template for case intake.
Paralegal Toolkit on Improving Women’s Access to Justice in Northern Nigeria
This toolkit is part of the materials developed for paralegals in Northern Nigeria and it is designed to provide trained paralegals with guidance for aiding women at police stations and within the court systems. It takes them through the personnel, functions and procedures at these institutions. It is hoped that more women in northern Nigeria are afforded the opportunity of…
Legal Empowerment in Under-Resourced Regions: Lessons Learned from Global Rights’ Community-Based Paralegal Services in Nigeria and Uganda
This report by Global Rights details the steps taken to plan and implement legal empowerment projects in Nigeria and Uganda and the lessons learned from these experiences. The programs take a community-based paralegal approach and place a special emphasis on women’s rights.
In Sierra Leone, community paralegals are recognized under the Legal Aid Act of 2012 as "accredited paralegals". According to the law, these paralegals are supervised and accredited by a Legal Aid Board. This Board, however, has yet to effectively start its operations.
Sierra Leone Community Paralegals: Recognition and Financing Research Brief
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In 2012, the Sierra Leonean government adopted a legal aid law that recognizes the role paralegals play in delivering justice services and calls for a…
Sierra Leone Legal Aid Act, 2012
On May 10, 2012 the Sierra Leone Parliament enacted one of the most progressive legal aid laws in Africa. The bill provides for a mixed model of criminal and civil legal aid, from provision of legal information and mediation services through to representation in court, and supplied through a public/private partnership of government, private sector…
Part of the Justice Puzzle: Community-based Paralegal Programs and Sierra Leone’s Legal Aid Act
This paper, published in the Canadian Journal of Poverty Law, examines community-based paralegal programs in order to understand the connection between such programs, legal empowerment and access to justice. The paper presents an examination of community-based paralegal programs in Sierra Leone, particularly in the context of the government’s recent enactment of the Legal Aid Act…
Timap for Justice: A Paralegal Approach to Justice Services in Sierra Leone
In this book, criminal justice practitioners from around the world explore practical ways of delivering legal aid in criminal justice matters to the poorest sectors of African and other developing societies. They articulate a broad and inclusive definition of legal aid, call on governments, in partnership with civil society, to provide legal aid at all stages in the criminal justice process, to recognise the role of informal means of conflict resolution, including traditional forums, to diversify legal aid service providers, and to encourge legal empowerment of all citizens. The book also contains the Lilongwe Declaration on Accessing Legal Aid in the Criminal Justice System in Africa and the Lilongwe Plan of Action, as well as excerpts from other key international declarations and guidelines pertaining to the treatment of ordinary people caught up in the criminal justice system.
Vivek Maru’s chapter discusses Timap for Justice, and the organization’s efforts to provide justice services in Sierra Leone through paralegals.
Guidance Note: Paralegal Intervention in Defending Community Rights in Land Acquisition Cases
NAMATI prepared this curriculum in response to a request for more guidance on the role that paralegals can play in defending and asserting the rights of communities in land acquisition cases, beyond the crucial task of fact-finding. There is a great need for paralegal involvement in land acquisition cases in Sierra Leone. Nearly one-fifth of…
Best Practices of Community Legal Advice Programs, Program Assessment and Recommendation
The goal of this handbook is to provide the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and the Carter Center with information and recommendations as they expand and improve the Community Legal Advisor program. The handbook presents best practices of community-based paralegal and legal advice organizations in developing economies and post-conflict settings in Africa and Asia, and…
Paralegal Program Structure – The Timap Model
An example of how a paralegal program structures its staff and accounts for oversight.
An Evaluation of the Way that Paralegals at the Timap Programme in Magburaka, Sierra Leone, Deal with Family Cases
This resource about Timap for Justice in Sierra Leone is a publication summary of strategies and results used by paralegals in family cases.
The Asia Pacific region includes many countries who have formally recognized community paralegals under very diverse set of systems. The briefs here represent China, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Briefs for Afghanistan, India, Nepal, New Zealand and Vietnam are currently under development.
In China, community paralegals are recognized by the Regulations on Legal Aid as "legal aid personnel". These personnel work in legal aid institutions.
China Community Paralegals: Recognition and Financing Research Brief
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In China, “personnel” of legal aid institutions or “persons of other social organizations in accordance with the demand” may conduct legal aid. However, regulations do not…
A Human Right to Legal Aid
This publication examines the connection between provision of legal aid services and realization of human rights guarantees through a series of thematic and country-specific articles, drawn from experiences of authors from 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. The Kyiv Declaration on the Right to Legal Aid, 2007, is attached as an appendix to…
The role of lawyers in the social transformation: Lawyers in the Republic of China in the perspective of legal power
Abstract: The lawyers in the Republic of China played important roles in the social transformation and modernization since the end of the Qing dynasty. They were regarded as “non-government legal officers” either by the law, the social cognition or the self-cognition of lawyers in this period. From the perspective of legal power, the conditions for their…
The Governance Evolution in Chinese Rural Areas and the Access to Justice — the Enlightenment of Legal Empowerment
Abstract: The access to justice in rural China has encountered predicaments in evolution of governance structure. For instance, local legal agencies are incapable of providing legal services; the interference of political power and governance vacuum coexist; the legal elite in rural areas are rare and modern legal systems have often repressed traditional governance norms. From the perspective…
The Legal Empowerment Clinic: A Successful Combination of the Legal Clinic and Legal Empowerment
Abstract: With the development of clinical legal education, legal clinics have begun to highlight its value in “social justice,” in addition to its value as a practical legal education model. When it is combined with the concept of legal empowerment, a new type of legal clinic, namely the legal empowerment clinic emerged. This combination is…
Justice for All: The Problems and Possibilities of Legal Aid and Empowerment in Rural China
This report by the Public Interest and Development Law Institute (PIDLI) of Wuhan University in China summarizes experiences from a long-term project on legal aid and legal empowerment oriented towards rural China. This English edition of the Chinese report, “Justice for All,” provides overseas readers with an introduction to, as aptly described in the subtitle,…
Popular Attitudes towards Dispute Processing in Urban and Rural China
Decades of research in the field of law and society reveals the fallacy of conflating the ‘legal’ and the ‘justice’ systems. Law is but one means, far from the most important means, of resolving disputes and obtaining justice. Moreover, law is far more than official state law, including also unofficial customary law. The simultaneous existence…
In Indonesia, community paralegals are recognized under the Legal Aid Act of 2011. These advocates are referred to as "paralegals", and work at Legal Aid Providers. In general, they are only able to provide non-litigation legal aid, however can provide litigation legal aid under the supervision of a lawyer in certain circumstances.
Indonesia, Community Paralegals: Recognition & Financing
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In Indonesia, paralegals are formally recognized in the 2011 Law on Legal Assistance and Regulation 182 (2018). However, a 2018 Supreme Court decision diluted this…
Paralegalism and Legal Aid in Indonesia: Enlarging the Shadow of the Law
A study that describes the work of both generalist and specialist paralegals in Indonesia.
Legal Aid Bill – Indonesia
Official translated text of the draft 2011 Indonesian Law on Legal Assistance recognizing access to justice, the provision of legal aid and the protection of human rights as guaranteed by the State.
Establishing National Legal Aid System through Indonesia Legal Aid Act
This report demonstrates the need for greater legal aid for the poor in Indonesia and is part of the campaign for the legal aid law that passed in October 2011. It cites statistics on the high poverty rate and the low funding for legal aid, leaving only civil society organizations to provide legal aid. The…
A Framework for Strengthening Access to Justice in Indonesia
This report considers how to complement justice reforms in Indcomprehensive justice sector reforms require a dual track strategy which links top-down institutional reform and bottom-up access to, and demand for, better justice.
A Human Right to Legal Aid
This publication examines the connection between provision of legal aid services and realization of human rights guarantees through a series of thematic and country-specific articles, drawn from experiences of authors from 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. The Kyiv Declaration on the Right to Legal Aid, 2007, is attached as an appendix to…
Access to Justice Assessments in the Asia Pacific: A Review of Experiences and Tools from the Region
This publication is a result of a comprehensive study of over 23 access to justice assessments (led by UNDP as well as some external assessment) conducted between 2000 and 2010 in 15 countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Republic of Vanuatu and…
Bringing Justice to Health: The Impact of Legal Empowerment Projects on Public Health
For millions of people around the world, human rights violations are part and parcel of everyday life. Sexual violence, discrimination in housing, unwarranted dismissal from employment, unfair evictions, denial of child support, and police harassment are only a few such violations. These have a particularly harsh impact on people whose health is compromised, and on people society often excludes—like sex workers, people who use drugs, patients nearing death, Roma, and people living with HIV.
This report shows the potential to transform this dynamic, profiling 11 access to justice projects based in Indonesia, Kenya, Macedonia, Russia, South Africa, and Uganda. These projects use a range of approaches to make the law meaningful for marginalized people and to improve their health.
Empowerment, Deliberative Development, and Local-Level Politics in Indonesia: Participatory Projects as a Source of Countervailing Power
This resource forms a part of the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI) Working Paper series. Empowerment—the process of enhancing individual or group capacity to make choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes—is an increasingly familiar term within the international development community. Its increasing popularity suggests an emerging, shared understanding that marginalised individuals and groups often…
Post-Tsunami Legal Assistance Initiative for Indonesia
There are three pertinent chapters in this report: The Legal Research and Documentation Exercise – p. 18 Gender Advocacy Project Through Legal Representation, Counseling and Support for Women in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam – p. 24 Community Mediation and Legal Skills Training – p. 8 Promoting the Awareness of Women’s Legal Rights Through Film – p.55…
In the Philippines, community paralegals are not formally recognized by the judiciary. The Supreme Court has held that a person not admitted as an attorney cannot engage in the practice of law. However, paralegals have been active in the Philippines since the 1930s, and are entitled to appear before a number of quasi-judicial tribunals.
Philippines Community Paralegals: Recognition and Financing Research Brief
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. The Philippine judiciary does not formally recognize community paralegals. In fact, the Supreme Court has held that a person not admitted as an attorney, including paralegals,…
Contemporary Community Based Paralegalism in the Philippines: Opportunities and Challenges
This resource is part of The Justice and Development Working Paper Series, which serves as a platform for innovative thinking on justice and development that features work from World Bank and external authors. Community-based paralegalism has been active in the Philippines for the past 30 years, and yet its contribution to access to justice and…
Philippines’ Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB) Rules of Procedure
This resource contains the Republic of the Philippines’ Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board’s (DARAB) rules of procedure for 2009.
The 2014 Revised Rules of Procedure before the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
This resource contains the 2014 revised rules of procedure for cases filed before the Republic of the Philippines’ National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
The 2011 National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) Rules of Procedure
This resource contains the 2011 rules of procedure for the Republic of Philippines’ National Labor Relations Commission.
The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998
This resource contains “The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998”, which was enacted by the Republic of the Philippines’s Tenth Congress.
Lawyer for the People (Part 1 of 4)
This is part 1 of a 4-part video that showcases the work of the Alternative Law Groups, based in the Philippines, and features Attorney Marlon J. Manuel. The video is subtitled in English. Lawyer for the People (Part 2 of 4) can be viewed here.
Barefoot Lawyers: Defending Community Resource Rights in the Philippines
This study by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) discusses the concept of a Community Paralegal Team (CLPT) and documents its implementation in the Philippines. CLPTs are integrated into existing grassroots organizations and consist of groups of local individuals who educate their communities about their rights and empower them to protect and assert…
Paralegal Work: A Community-Based Approach to Fisheries Law Enforcement in Negros Occidental, Philippines
An example of specialist paralegals working with fisheries law in the Philippines.
I feel empowered, I know my rights: Communities empowered by peer educators and paralegals
This report is based on the experience and knowledge of people working in a diverse range of peer education and paralegal programs who were interviewed for this project. Participants interviewed worked in organisations supporting, educating and empowering communities in Victoria, Australia and overseas: in the Philippines, Cambodia, Eastern Europe and South Africa. The power of…
Best Practices of Community Legal Advice Programs, Program Assessment and Recommendation
The goal of this handbook is to provide the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) and the Carter Center with information and recommendations as they expand and improve the Community Legal Advisor program. The handbook presents best practices of community-based paralegal and legal advice organizations in developing economies and post-conflict settings in Africa and Asia, and…
Access to Justice Assessments in the Asia Pacific: A Review of Experiences and Tools from the Region
This publication is a result of a comprehensive study of over 23 access to justice assessments (led by UNDP as well as some external assessment) conducted between 2000 and 2010 in 15 countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Republic of Vanuatu and…
In New Zealand, community paralegals are referred to as "paralegals" or "community workers", and operate within community law centres. Community law centres are funded by the government and provide a variety of legal services, including legal education, information, advice, assistance, and representation.
New Zealand, Community Paralegals: Recognition & Financing
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In New Zealand, paralegals are formally recognized in the 2011 New Zealand Legal Services Act + 2006 Lawyers and Conveyancers Act. The first briefs published…
Online Community Law Manual
The Community Law Manual is a trail-blazing resource that helps Kiwis (and their advocates) help themselves. It sets out legal information in an accessible way for everyday users. The Community Law Manual deals with many areas of community and personal life and provides answers and solutions to common legal questions. The Manual is organized based on…
New Zealand Legislation – The Authoritative Source of Acts, Bills, & Legislative Instruments
This website provides free public access to up-to-date versions of New Zealand Acts, Bills (proposed Acts), and Legislative Instruments. The website also provides Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs, a type of proposed amendment to a Bill). All in-force legislation is provided, and all current Bills and Supplementary Order Papers, as well as earlier versions. This website is owned…
New Zealand Legal Services Act 2011
Enacted by the Parliament of New Zealand, this Act was established to promote access to justice by through the establishment of a legal aid system that— (a) provides legal services to people of insufficient means; and (b) delivers those services in the most effective and efficient manner.
Legal and Reporting Guidelines Workbook
Social service workers are required to apply knowledge of professional legal responsibilities which are derived from statutes and the common law. They also require knowledge of laws that give effect to social policy and mandate the provision of social services. It is not essential for people credited with this standard to know all statutes and…
Legal Aid Lawyer Induction Guide – Information about legal aid for service providers
This resource provides an introductory explanation of Legal Aid in New Zealand and information on how one can become and work as a legal aid service provider.
Rights Education
The Rights Education Project is a collection of teaching modules that gives young people throughout Aotearoa a solid working knowledge of their legal rights and responsibilities. The REP is designed to be taught by young people for young people. The education modules cover the following topics: employment family law consumers sex, health, and the…
Europe includes many countries that formally recognize the role of community paralegals in some form. The brief below is from Moldova.
Briefs for England and the Netherlands are currently under development.
In Moldova, paralegals are formally recognized in Law No. 198-XVI Law on State Guaranteed Legal Aid (2007), which states that primary legal aid may be granted by paralegals and non-governmental organizations specializing in the delivery of legal aid. They are referred to as, "paralegals."
Moldova, Community Paralegals: Recognition & Financing
This research brief is part of a series that reviews the nature of the work undertaken by community paralegals, and the extent to which that work is recognized or funded by government. In Moldova, paralegals are formally recognized in Law No. 198-XVI Law on State Guaranteed Legal Aid (2007). The first briefs published for this series focus…
Regulation on Paralegals- Republic of Moldova (Russian)
The Regulation on paralegals was adopted by the National Legal Aid Council on 2011/06/15 and was published on 2012/01/13. The regulation defines a paralegal as a person highly respected by the local community, with incomplete legal studies or complete higher education / tertiary education, who is not practicing as a lawyer and who, after a…
Methodological guide for paralegals in Moldova
The guide offers methodological guidance for daily work of paralegals in Moldova.
Paralegal Manual- Moldova
The manual offers guidance for paralegals and community members on most of legal issues relevant to community life. The tool is available in Romanian online.
Regulation on Paralegals, Republic of Moldova (Romanian)
The Regulation on paralegals was adopted by the National Legal Aid Council on 2011/06/15 and was published on 2012/01/13. The regulation defines a paralegal as a person highly respected by the local community, with incomplete legal studies or complete higher education / tertiary education, who is not practicing as a lawyer and who, after a…
Community-Based Paralegals: A Practitioner’s Guide (Russian)
Community-Based Paralegals: A Practitioner’s Guide should be useful for anyone who wants to start a new paralegal program, improve an existing one, or learn more about paralegals and the legal empowerment of the poor. This version of the Guide is in Russian and other language versions are available on the original English language version here….
International Study of Primary Legal Aid Systems with the Focus on the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and CIS
This study examines the primary legal aid systems of a number of European countries, with the special focus on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and former CIS. The countries covered in the review are: Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Lithuania, Netherlands and Russia. Besides, examples are drawn from other countries which have a longstanding experience…
Establishment of Community-Based Paralegals in Moldova
The paper analyses the role of community-based paralegals in Moldova based on experiences of a 2-year project that supported paralegals in 30 communities of Moldova, the relevant legal provisions regarding paralegals and the findings of a national study on legal needs in Moldova. The paper advocates for further support of community-based paralegals in Moldova and…
ROADMAP: Strengthening the Paralegal Profession within the National System of State Guaranteed Primary Legal Aid
The present Roadmap was drawn up within the project “Shared Framework on Legal Empowerment in Moldova” implemented by the Justice Program of the Soros Foundation-Moldova. The project aims at developing, institutionalizing, and implementing policies and practices of legal empowerment of the population. The project refers to the empowerment of people to independently use the legal…