According to the World Justice Project there are well over 250 million people suffering from extreme injustice due to complex factors such as corruption, social prejudice, extreme poverty,  gender discrimination, lack of education, and more.

At JVI, we know just how integral access to justice is in changing oppressed communities for good.

Without a fair and effective justice system, perpetrators operate with impunity, preying on the vulnerable. These men, women, and children are denied their most basic human rights such as the right to freedom, movement, and security of person. Those suffering the most extreme conditions face the near impossibility of accessing justice mechanisms to redress grievances or securing even the basic opportunities that the law provides.

 

JVI and its local partners work to improve justice systems and promote healthy communities by advocating for positive changes in government practices, policies, and laws and promoting collaboration among public sector, private sector and civil society partners to enhance and sustain justice.

A Recent Systems Change Victory

Lawyers working with JVI sponsored community-based Nyay Kendras (Hindi for “Justice Hubs”), have been making significant progress in improving justice systems in recent months. One significant victory is the favorable ruling of a petition submitted in the India Supreme Court to allow virtual testimony by child trafficking victims in lieu of physical appearance in trial courts. Child victims who are repatriated to their home states are often re-traumatized if they are taken back to the place of trafficking to testify in person. This long-standing requirement of due process for the accused perpetrators also severely delays trials. 

On February 1, 2022, after a successful review and pilot period, and submission of modified draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) allowing virtual testimony, the Supreme Court of India set a precedent in the fight to hold child traffickers accountable by ordering states in India to begin implementing the new SOP. This milestone is expected to help increase the number of child trafficking prosecutions that result in convictions by removing the barriers that have stood in the way of children giving their testimony – a crucial piece of evidence. Not only will children no longer have to travel long distances to give their testimony but they will also be able to testify in more child-friendly settings that are separate from the courtrooms in which perpetrators are present. This protects children from feeling unsafe and experiencing re-traumatization, and in doing so strengthens their ability to give clear and confident testimony.

JVI believes that the pursuit of justice is the shared responsibility of all those with the ability to help. We collaborate with justice partners, volunteers, donors, investors and like-minded organizations through shared networks enabled by an increasingly interconnected world.  

Thank you for supporting our work of freedom, justice and restoration.