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.

Proposes pathways towards a sustainable and JUST future.
Elsevier, Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology, Volume 50, 1 January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are complex existential threats, unpredictable in many ways and unprecedented in modern times. There are parallels between the scale and scope of their impacts and responses. Understanding shared drivers, coupled vulnerabilities, and criteria for effective responses will help societies worldwide prepare for the simultaneous threats of climate change and future pandemics. We summarize some shared characteristics of COVID-19 and climate change impacts and interventions and discuss key policy implications and recommendations.

Scene from South-East Asia, woman walking past a building
LexisNexis Legal & Professional has created a rule of law impact tracker using a range of data sets. The rule of law impact tracker is an interactive tool which quantifies the relationship between the rule of law and social and economic development. The rule of law plays a vital part in underpinning all of the SDGs and in particular the targets of SDG 16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Elsevier,

Lancet Planetary Health, Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2021, Pages e50–e62.

This Personal View addresses SDGs 2, 3, 10, and 12 by exploring the potential consequences of food system innovations in relation to the SDGs. The authors highlight the negative consequences that standalone innovations can have for some sustainability goals, particularly for reducing inequalities and improving social justice. They identify ways in which technical innovations could be embedded in systemic changes to address trade-offs between positive and negative outcomes of their implementation.
In this brief perspective piece, a rural sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program is described in the hopes that dissemination will lead to increased numbers of rural SANEs, increased reporting of sexual assaults in rural and underserved communities, increased prosecution rates of sexual assault perpetrators, and program sustainability through the provision of a nurse-centered approach to training and support. This article contributes SDGs 3, 5, 9, and 16.
Elsevier,

Forensic Science International: Reports, Volume 2, December 2020, 100121

Contributing to SDGs 3, 5 and 16, this paper examines the demographic profile of female victims with intellectual disablities who were sexually assaulted and the characteristics of sexual assault.
Advancing SDGs 3, 5 and 16, this article discusses increased risk of family violence during COVID-19 pandemic and suggests that collaborations between human welfare and animal welfare agencies, expanding community partnerships, and informing the public of the great importance of reporting any concerns of abuse are all critical at this time.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. Global estimates published by WHO indicate that about 1 in 3 (35%) of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Since 1981, Women's rights activists have observed November 25th as a day against gender-based violence. To mark this event, Elsevier presents a curated, open access collection of 52 journal articles and book chapters to highlight to the urgent need to end violence against women and girls.
An innovative approach towards the holistic and multidisciplinary study of the victimization of women by drug-facilitated sexual assault has been developed. This phenomenon constitutes a significant problem given the narrowing of the gender gap in drug use over the last few decades and the widespread presence of psychoactive substances worldwide. As violence against women and drug misuse intersect in this phenomenon, this intersectional nature emphasizes the need for a novel approach that enables us to go beyond the studies carried out to date.

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