American Association For The International Commission Of Jurist

ACCESS TO JUSTICE=EQUAL PROTECTIONSSUMMARY: A SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED INITIATIVE PROBING HOW UNDER-FUNDED CIVIL JUSTICE RESOURCES DISPARATELY EFFECT MARGINALIZED U.S. COMMUNITIES, AND ADVANCING AN EXPANDED LEGAL ECOSYSTEM.ISSUE: THE INADEQUATE RESOURCING OF CORE HUMAN AND JUSTICE NEEDS LIKE SHELTER, SAFETY, SUSTENANCE, AND FAMILY, ERODES HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY, AND PERPETUATES INEQUALITY. FINDINGS EXPOSE HOW LITTLE INFORMATION IS COLLECTED IN THE UNITED STATES ABOUT THE COMPOUNDED CIVIL JUSTICE STRUGGLES OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES ALREADY FACING BARRIERS. APPROACH: BY APPLYING INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHT STANDARDS TO DOMESTIC FRAMEWORKS, THE AAICJ IS CRAFTING CUTTING-EDGE LEGAL ARGUMENTS TO EXPOSE HOW THE FAILURE TO INCREASE RESOURCES MAY BREACH CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES OF EQUAL PROTECTIONS AND DUE PROCESS.ENDANGERED LAWYERS LISTSUMMARY: A GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO TRACK AND MONITOR ATTACKS AGAINST LAWYERS AROUND THE WORLD, TO STRENGTHEN ADVOCACY EFFORTS, PARTNERSHIPS, JUSTICE WORKERS' SAFETY AND WELLBEING, AND THE RULE OF LAW.ISSUE: WHEN LAWYERS ARE DETERRED FROM DOING THEIR WORK, DISTRUST IN GOVERNMENT IS HEIGHTENED, AND CITIZENS ARE POWERLESS AGAINST TYRANNY.APPROACH: TO COMBAT THIS, THE AAICJ IS DEVELOPING A RESOURCE TO BETTER CONNECT AND SUPPORT LAWYERS AND JUSTICE WORKERS WHO TAKE ON PERSONAL RISK TO BUILD A MORE JUST SOCIETY. WE ARE SPEARHEADING A COLLABORATION BETWEEN SIX ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD A CENTRAL AND SECURE DATABASE AGGREGATING ALL ATTACKS AGAINST LAWYERS AROUND THE WORLD. THIS DATABASE WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND SEEKING COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL COVERAGE. IT WILL REFLECT AND PROPEL THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS OF NUMEROUS PARTNER CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS.PROMINENT ADVOCATES AND STAKEHOLDERS AGREE THAT A CENTRAL DATABASE IS ESSENTIAL, BECAUSE IT IS ONLY AFTER ADVOCATES, GOVERNMENTS, AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS UNDERSTAND THE SIZE AND SCALE OF THIS GLOBAL PROBLEM THAT THEY CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY FIGHT TO COMBAT IT.