Access to justice

Access to justice, which entails the capacity for individuals to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal justice systems, is a cornerstone of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which focuses on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. This goal, particularly target 16.3, advocates for the promotion of the rule of law at both national and international levels, emphasizing the need for equal access to justice for all individuals. This principle is not only foundational in its own right but also intersects significantly with other SDGs, highlighting the interconnected nature of these goals.

SDG 16's emphasis on access to justice is critical in ensuring fairness and legal protection for all, particularly the most vulnerable. It calls for the establishment and strengthening of institutions at all levels to deliver justice effectively, transparently, and without undue delay. This is fundamental in maintaining social order and preventing conflicts, thereby contributing to the achievement of peace and stability as outlined in SDG 16.

Moreover, access to justice is essential in enforcing rights under SDG 5, which focuses on Gender Equality. It plays a crucial role in addressing issues like gender-based violence, discrimination, and unequal power dynamics. By ensuring that women and girls have equal access to legal protection and recourse, societies can move closer to achieving gender parity and empowering all individuals regardless of their gender.

In the context of SDG 10, which aims at reducing inequalities, access to justice is vital for protecting marginalized and disadvantaged communities. These groups often face systemic barriers in accessing legal systems, which can perpetuate poverty and inequality. By ensuring that these communities have the means to seek legal redress, societies can address these structural issues and work towards more equitable outcomes.

Furthermore, access to justice is integral to upholding labor rights as outlined in SDG 8. This includes ensuring fair treatment in the workplace, protecting workers' rights, and providing avenues for redress in cases of labor violations. In a globalized world, this is especially important for migrant workers and those in precarious employment, who often lack the resources or knowledge to navigate legal systems.

Environmental protection, covered under SDGs 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land), also relies heavily on access to justice. Effective environmental laws and policies are only as strong as their enforcement mechanisms. Communities and individuals must have the ability to hold corporations and governments accountable for environmental harm. This ensures the protection of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the health of our planet, which is essential for sustainable development.

Access to justice is a fundamental component of the SDGs. It ensures that legal systems are equitable, responsive, and accessible to all, thus playing a critical role in achieving various aspects of sustainable development. Whether it's in the context of gender equality, reducing inequalities, labor rights, or environmental protection, access to justice serves as a key driver in realizing these ambitious goals. Therefore, strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing institutional capacities, and ensuring inclusivity in justice systems are imperative for the overall achievement of the SDGs.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions,

LexisNexis Risk Soluions, 16 May 2017

LexisNexis partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) to develop the Automated Delivery of Alerts on Missing Children Programme, known as ADAM. SDG 16.2 aims is to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children and the ADAM Programme provides a simple solution to engage citizens, businesses and organisations in finding missing children in the US. Watch two videos about the ADAM Programme.
CLA President R Santhanakrishnan, winner of the award Thuli Madonsela, Nigel Roberts (LexisNexis) and past President Alex Ward
The 20th Commonwealth Law Conference took place in Melbourne in March 2017 with LexisNexis as the lead sponsor, and hosted by Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) in association with the Law Institute of Victoria. The CLC brings together delegates from over 50 countries to meet and learn, as well as to recognise lawyers who champion the rule of law. Such exchanges between lawyers support SDG 16. 3 to promote the rule of law at the national and international levels.
Slave Free Seas charitable trust New Zealand logo

LexisNexis New Zealand and the Slave Free Seas Charitable Trust have created a free legal resource to assist advocates for victims of human trafficking, comprising practical information on advocacy and policy change. This guidance is essential for target 8.7 and the eradication of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as SDG 16.3 and access to justice.

LexisNexis Australia has created a free legal resource to assist those working on pro bono cases and social justice issues. It provides practical information on charities, federal discrimination law matters, human trafficking cases and applying for humanitarian immigration into Australia for victims of human trafficking. This free guidance supports target 8.7 and the eradication of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as SDG 16.3 and access to justice.

With Sustainable Development Goal 7, the United Nations has declared its ambition to ensure access to modern energy for all by 2030. Aside from broad appeals to differentiated responsibilities and ‘greener’ technologies, however, the goal leaves significant procedural questions unaddressed. This paper argues that the basic orientation of this approach is problematic, undermining possibilities for progress toward energy justice and equitable development.
LexisNexis partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) to develop the Automated Delivery of Alerts on Missing Children Programme, known as ADAM. SDG 16.2 aims is to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children and the ADAM Programme provides a simple solution to engage citizens, businesses and organisations in finding missing children in the US.
The Blueprint for Business Leadership on the SDGs aims to inspire all business — regardless of size, sector or geography — to take leading action in support of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It illustrates how the five leadership qualities of Ambition, Collaboration, Accountability, Consistency, and Intentional can be applied to a business' strategy, business model, products, supply chain, partnerships, and operations to raise the bar and create impact at scale. The Blueprint is a tool for any business that is ready to advance its principled approach to SDG action to become a leader. This chapter relates specifically to SDG 16.
Elsevier, International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, Volume 47, 1 December 2016
Access to justice as a practical and process based concept may be defined as the capacity of people to access judicial institutions which shall bring solution to common judicial problems of the people. While the burdens before access to justice are common for various groups, women may suffer more frequently accessing these institutions and have difficult time to overcome the burdens due to other structures which produce inequality.
Rights App

RightsApp is a free, quick reference guide to international human rights law. LexisNexis collaborated with the Australian Human Rights Commission to develop RightsApp, the world’s first mobile application that allows users to quickly and easily search international human rights conventions and declarations by topic, right and country. Providing information about human rights is a vital pillar of target SDG 16.10 to ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms.

In the US, land owners are liable for environmental impacts in relation to contaminated land. This Lexis Practice Advisor practice note explains what due diligence should be carried out in relation to the purchase of land/buildings to assess the environmental risk. Environmental due diligence advances SDG 3.9 to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination, and generally supports SDG 11 Sustainable cities and SDG 15 Life on land.

Pages