The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries with a combined population of 2.7 billion, working together to advance shared values and goals that promote peace, democracy and development. Although its roots are historical, emerging from the British Empire, today it serves a modern purpose grounded in co-operation and mutual support. The core purpose of the Commonwealth includes promoting democracy and good governance, advancing sustainable development, protecting human rights, fostering trade and economic co-operation, empowering youth and civil society, building peace and security, and strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties. Its existence therefore serves to support its members through shared values, practical co-operation and mutual respect, and creating a network where countries can learn from each other, collaborate and uplift their people.
To advance the realisation of the goals set out in the 2019 Declaration on Equal Access to Justice and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, the Commonwealth Heads of Government considered and endorsed the Declaration and Plan of Action on Equal Access to Justice, which had been developed by the Commonwealth Secretariat. This was during their June 2022 meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. At their subsequent meeting in Zanzibar in March 2024, law ministers agreed to the development of the Commonwealth Best Practice Guides on Access to Justice as part of the implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action. This series of guides is developed pursuant to the law ministers’ endorsement of the need for a practical, experience-based guide to support member countries in developing their own approaches.
This guide showcases the Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint, a people-centred strategy that is currently being implemented in Kenya. The 10-year blueprint has been selected as a best practice guide because of its people-centred approach to the delivery of justice to citizens. This aligns with the core objective of the Equal Access to Justice Declaration and Plan of Action, whose aim is to promote people-centred justice and development.
We hope that it will enable chief justices, attorneys general and other relevant officers develop and sustain people-centered approaches to justice in their respective jurisdictions.
Acronyms
A2J access to justice
ADR alternative dispute resolution
AJS alternative justice systems
AVCB Activating Village Court in Bangladesh (project)
CAM court-annexed mediation
CSO civil society organisation
CTS case tracking system
CUC Court Users Committee
DSA daily subsistence allowance
ERP enterprise resource planning
EXR expenditure requisition
GBV gender-based violence
ICT information and communication technology
JDGs Justice Development Goals (Canada)
JTF Judiciary Transformation Framework
KNCHR Kenya National Commission on Human Rights
M&E monitoring and evaluation
NCAJ National Council on the Administration of Justice
NGO non-governmental organisation
ODPP Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PCJ people-centred justice
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SGBV sexual and gender-based violence
SJT Sustaining Judiciary Transformation
SMS short message service
SOJAR State of Judiciary and Administration of Justice Report
STAJ Social Transformation through Access to Justice (blueprint)
Acknowledgments
The Commonwealth Secretariat is deeply grateful to the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Lady Justice Martha Koome, and Dr Willy Mutunga, former Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, for graciously availing themselves for the in-depth interviews that were necessary in the development of this guide. Their thoughtful reflections as leaders, and experiential insights into Kenya’s justice transformation journey, provided invaluable context and depth to this guide.
We further extend our appreciation to Ms Anne Amadi, former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary of Kenya, for providing practical insights on the foundational work in strengthening institutional frameworks for shaping an inclusive, responsive and accountable justice systems. Her perspective as one of the earliest implementers of the STAJ Blueprint was invaluable. Further information provided by Caroline Kabucho, Registrar, Magistrates Courts, and Duncan Okello of the Kenya Judicial Academy, also went a long way in unpacking the processes and systems around the implementation of the judiciary’s blueprints.
In particular, we thank our colleagues in the Commonwealth Secretariat, Rule of Law Section, led by Nancy Kanyago, for their assistance and support, as well as their invaluable advice and direction provided during the development of this publication. The Secretariat worked closely with the consultant, Dr Mercy Deche, and is grateful for her professionalism, dedication and time, in her role as ‘the pen holder’ in the development of this guide.
Finally, the Secretariat conveys its heartfelt thanks to all Commonwealth member countries for their unwavering support, which has continually enabled the Secretariat to deliver on its various mandates – including support for justice reforms.