Governance in Justice II (GOJUST II) Fact Sheet

GOJUST II builds on and continues the work of the predecessor programme, GOJUST I that was implemented from April 2016 to September 2020. GOJUST specifically aims to develop more responsive and accountable justice services in the country, with a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable, including women, LGBTI, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and other excluded groups.

Justice Sector Reform Programme

Governance in Justice II (GOJUST II) Access to justice is a basic principle of the rule of law. In the absence of access to justice, people are unable to have their voices heard, exercise their rights, or challenge discrimination.

According to the 2019 World Justice Report, of the 35% of Filipinos who experienced a legal problem in the last two years, only 20% of them were able to access help.

The European Union’s Justice Sector Reform Programme: Governance in Justice II (GOJUST II) supports the Government of the Republic of the Philippines’ efforts to improve access to justice for all Filipinos, and thus, contribute to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.

GOJUST II supports the Government of the Republic of the Philippines’ efforts to improve access to justice for all Filipinos, and thus, contribute to inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development.

GOJUST also aims to strengthen the Commission on Human Rights to exert its constitutional mandate of civil and political rights protection and enhance human rights promotion in the Philippines consistent with the United Nations’ Paris principles.

The programme works closely with the Philippine Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government—to improve access to justice for all Filipinos.

GOJUST runs through June 2025 with a total budget of 19 million EUR. The Programme is implemented through technical assistance by the British Council and logistical and grant management support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as well as the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

The GOJUST II Programme seeks to achieve the following: 4 Result Areas

Description

Activities

1) Justice sector coordination measures are improved

Result 1 contributes to long term sustainable reforms in the justice sector. This will be done through further institutionalization of the concept of coordination illustrated by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) as a permanent coordinating and policymaking body at the national level as well as through further roll-out of local mechanisms for coordination in the form of Justice Zones and the strengthening of two-way communication between these two levels of coordination.

Supporting the development and operation of 9 Justice Zones in Quezon City, Cebu, Davao, Angeles, Bacolod, Naga, Calamba, Balanga, Baguio. “Justice Zones,” are areas where local justice sector actors such as police, prosecutors, public

attorneys, judges, and prison staff work together to identify common problems and generate common solutions to address them.

2) Strengthened institutional efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of justice services

Many Filipinos have taken it as a fact of life that justice moves slowly in the country. GOJUST II supports activities towards the improved efficiency and effectiveness of government agencies in the delivery of justice services. Activities include support for short and long-term measures to manage congestion and delay in the justice system. These include policy studies to streamline procedure and case management processes, strengthening of alternative dispute resolution processes, automation, and piloting of new technologies.

Support for case management systems of justice agencies such as the Philippine National Police Enhanced E-Booking System, the judiciary eCourt version 2.0, digitization of the Inmate Management Information System (IMIS) of the Bureau of Corrections, and exchange platforms such as the Single Carpeta System and the National Justice Information System.

Pilot of new technologies such as voice-to-text transcription solutions for the production of stenographic notes.

3) Increased access to the justice system for vulnerable groups, including women

Access to justice for all Filipinos is critical to ensure that even those who are remote, vulnerable and excluded, can still access justice services. This result area seeks to empower women and people living in vulnerable situations to recognize their grievances and problems as legal issues and to seek effective remedies for disputes. GOJUST provides grants to civil society organizations and communities to promote legal empowerment and access to justice.

Grant mechanism revolves around: > Window 1 supports the Clinical Legal Education Programme (CLEP) of law schools. > Window 2 is allocated for partnered grants between civil society organizations and government agencies. > Window 3 is denoted as the Access to Justice and Legal Empowerment Fund,

4) Justice policy and practice is informed by evidence and responds to justice needs

Putting people’s justice needs at the core of justice reform efforts, this result area works closely with policy makers, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to leverage data, research, and evidence to inform policy decisions that can help unlock the transformative power of innovation and facilitate strategies to build a more accessible and inclusive justice system.

Conducted a first of its kind survey and qualitative study that examined in depth the justice needs of the Filipino public.

The survey looked at the challenges Filipinos face in accessing justice

11F South Tower, Rockwell Business Center Sheridan, United cor. Sheridan Sts., Mandaluyong City, Philippines www.gojust.org

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Delivered by

Support strengthening capacities of judiciary personnel in basic information and communication technology and cybersecurity to ensure widespread adoption of automation initiatives and roll-out of new technologies. directly supporting the work of civil society and community groups.

Awarded 10 grantees, including eight law schools and two civil society organizations, with total grant funding of USD 530,000 (as of October 2022), providing life-saving legal aid services to vulnerable women, girls, indigenous people, and children in courts or informal institutions, like community-based remedies, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the justice services provided to them.