How have information and communication technologies (ICTs) been used to improve access to justice in developing countries? That is the question posed in this brief report, which looks at examples from all over the world, and via different ICTs such as radio, television, mobile phones, and the internet. The report covers numerous topics, including: legal empowerment; capacity-building initiatives; legal information provision; legal aid and community paralegals initiatives; access to justice in remote areas; legal identity; and conflict resolution.
The report notes that legal empowerment through ICT-based awareness-raising and educational initiatives aim to enable citizens to use the law in ways that suit their needs. Many justice systems in developing countries have limited resources and capacity, and ICTs can provide on-demand information on rights and services in ways that do not require a mass of resources, including people power. This is particularly important in areas that do not have public access to such information, such as people in remote areas. Here, it is vital that ICTs such as radio and mobile phones are utilised to their fullest by legal aid and community para-legal services.
ICTs also play a vital role in terms of legal identity; an example of which is the use of portable registration kits to issue photo ID, and SMS-technology for data gathering. Further examples of the use of ICTs in facilitating justice are presented, including the use of SMS-technology and Global Positioning Systems to manage land boundary disputes through non-state dispute mechanisms.