Australian Government. AusAID: Office of Development Effectiveness

Law and Justice

ODE is conducting a major strategic evaluation to assess the effectiveness of current Australian aid to the law and justice sector, identify good practice examples and highlight important lessons to inform future work.
The law and justice sector plays an important role in the aid program, with a total allocation of nearly $300 million in 2008–09. AusAID and the Australian Federal Police are the main implementing agencies, and the Attorney-General’s Department and various Courts are also significant players. More than 60 per cent of Australia’s law and justice assistance is delivered in the Pacific region.

Cooperation with the other Australian agencies involved in delivering law and justice aid will be a key feature of this evaluation. This will provide an important opportunity to develop a shared understanding of successful development as it relates to law and justice, and of the roles that donors can most usefully play. This evaluation will produce several case study working papers, and an evaluation synthesis report.

Evaluation questions and case studies for this evaluation will be determined after consultation with stakeholders. As reports are finalised they will be made available on this site.

Think pieces

The following documents from members of the international aid community provide insight and opinion into law and justice in developing countries.

Some thoughts on law and justice: what to do about the 'crisis of confidence'?—Eric Scheye

What should donors do if their primary approach to justice and security is producing disappointing results? Policing expert and team member of ODE's upcoming law and justice evaluation, Dr Eric Scheye, discusses the 'crisis of confidence' the justice and security field is currently experiencing and suggests a new way of designing programs to deliver tangible results for people on the ground.

Eight steps for finding law and justice gold—Otwin Marenin

The ultimate goal for most donors is to help key players in partner countries establish a local, self-sustaining, and legitimate law and justice system. Easier said than done? Renowned academic Dr Otwin Marenin outlines the eight conditions that donors must address to make this complex goal a reality.

The political approach to the law and justice sector—Adrian Leftwich

Dr Adrian Leftwich unpacks the political and social context in which the law and justice 'sector' operates and argues that sustainable economic growth, human security, political stability and inclusive social development all depend on a secure and stable institutional environment. At the core of this are law and justice institutions.

 

Last reviewed: 16 February, 2012

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