Legal Reform
To reform laws is to reform societies. At IDLO, this is something that we have had thirty years to learn. And there are no more important laws than fundamental laws – national Constitutions. One of greatest, the Constitution of the United States of America, has served that nation well for nearly a quarter of a millennium. Constitutions encapsulate a vision. In countries struggling to overcome trauma, as is the case of Kenya; struggling to be reborn, as in Somalia; or struggling to be born at all, as in South Sudan, Constitutions respond to a collective need for unity and renewal.
But Constitutions are also highly technical documents. They set the parameters for law and justice in a given jurisdiction. For this reason, they require legal resources and expertise unavailable in many developing nations. By providing those resources and expertise, IDLO is proud to have assisted several countries through complex constitutional processes.
Laws for e-governance: unifying public registers in Ukraine
A resolution adopted by the Ukrainian government in May 2018, drafted with support from IDLO, is paving the way for a national legal framework that will underpin an innovative e-governance system connecting all electronic public registers across the country.
High-level Group on Justice for Women
Inaugural Meeting: High-level Group on Justice for Women
Update (as of July 27, 2018): The Inaugural Meeting Report is now available below
IDLO works to promote gender equality and justice
Supporting the rule of law in Mexico
Español | English: Mexico has made significant efforts to modernize its criminal justice system, specifically regarding public security and strengthening the rule of law. The current justice system, which entered into force in 2016, is based on the presumption of innocence and includes police professionalization as a public policy.
Indonesia-Netherlands Rule of Law and Security Update
The Netherlands and Indonesia have a longstanding relationship in the fields of rule of law and security cooperation. The two countries' legal systems share a common heritage in substantive law and legal structure, and remain important partners today.
IDLO Director-General to visit Ukraine: Media Advisory
Kyiv, October 24, 2017 - The Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Irene Khan, will visit Ukraine from October 25 to 27, 2017 to meet representatives of the Government of Ukraine and other key stakeholders in the rule of law sector to discuss IDLO’s work and explore areas of potential future collaboration.
E-evidence in Indonesia: A new frontier in anti-corruption
Electronic evidence is progressively becoming a key component in corruption cases in Indonesia. Gradually, e-mails, recordings, text messages and social media posts are presented as evidence that can make or break a case.
Transparent data helps Afghans prosecute violence against women
Just one year after IDLO first helped the Afghanistan Attorney-General’s Office (AGO) develop and launch a specialized database to track violence against women cases, the system has transformed the AGO’s ability to generate accurate statistics and pro
Preparing the judiciary as an essential pillar of democracy - lessons through time
The public backlash against the judiciary following the Presidential Petition decision in the Supreme Court in 2013 provides a lesson on the immense difficulties of convincing a cynical public that judicial decisions are based on legal reasoning and not political influence.
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Key Initiatives
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Justice within the context of commercial law is premised on the fact that an effective commercial justice system meets and facilitates the specialized needs of the business community and the private sector at large. However, there are persistent challenges related to the dispensation of commercial justice in Kenya. -
Indonesia has a high number of overlapping or contradictory laws and regulations. This results in ineffective administration, lengthy processes and obstacles for economic development. While the Government of Indonesia has taken certain measures to enhance regulatory reform, regulatory functions are currently scattered across several governmental institutions, creating a web of uncoordinated mandates. There is therefore a need for a central body or unit within the government that oversees regulations. -
Renforcement de la chaine pénale au nord du Mali. En 2016, l’IDLO a lancé un programme de cinq ans au Mali, financé par le Gouvernement des Pays-Bas : « Renforcement de la chaîne pénale au nord du Mali ». -
An effective prosecution service is critical to the provision of justice, stability and peace in Somalia. But the absence of a robust, independent and competent prosecutorial service has contributed to a climate of impunity, increasing the proliferation of both low-level and serious crimes, including terrorism, corruption and gender-based violence throughout Somalia. -
Funding and spending patterns of the General Procuracy of the Kyrgyz Republic (GP) have remained relatively invariable since Kyrgyzstan became an independent state in 1991. Stagnant funding has had negative implications for the GP, and the Prosecutors’ Training Center (PTC) requires support to train and retrain prosecutors in accordance with changing Kyrgyz legislation and international human rights standards. Additionally, gender inequalities within the GP remain a significant challenge.
