Making links to strengthen justice
CUSO-VSO has helped contribute to Ghana’s judicial reform process by facilitating a long-term partnership between one of its partners in Ghana and a Canadian institute. The result was a successful three-way triangular partnership between CUSO-VSO, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Canada and CUSO-VSO’s existing partner Judicial Services of Ghana.
In 2005, CUSO began collaborating with NJI in Canada to build the capacity of the judiciary in Ghana to deliver justice in a fair and accountable manner. Through exchanges between Ghanaian and Canadian judiciaries, training programmes, knowledge sharing sessions and public engagement activities in Ghana and in Canada, there has been considerable learning and mutual support.
“If my Ghanaian colleagues feel that something we have developed in Canada might be of use to them, then from a professional point-of-view it’s a matter of duty – an extremely pleasant one – to share that expertise,” says Canadian Justice Thomas Cromwell.
Triangular partnership leads to access to justice around the world
More recently, CUSO-VSO, Judicial Services of Ghana and NJI worked together on another project focused on improving community access to justice for women and children. This partnership grew to include community-based organisations in Ghana, Peru, Vanuatu, and other Canadian organisations. Through volunteer placements, local research, national workshops and a global forum in Canada, partners have shared experience, knowledge and strategies to improve access to justice for women and children.
These global partnerships are opportunities to share resources and expertise to increase development impacts and bring greater attention to access to justice at state level and community level. The partnerships bring possibilities for learning about alternative models of community justice and the application of these models in different cultural contexts where challenges are often very similar.
CUSO-VSO’s network of partners working on access to justice for women and children is growing. This is bringing more opportunities for knowledge sharing across borders, and a stronger voice for advocacy on justice in Canada and the developing world.
Impact
A records management system has been developed in Ghana to track progress of cases through the courts.
Forty Ghanaian judges and magistrates have received training on how to be effective judicial educators.
Ghana has become a regional centre for learning about judicial reforms with both Liberia and Nigeria benefiting from Ghana’s experience.
Canadian judges have learned about Ghana’s customary law and traditional practices.
