This chapter addresses the fourth pillar of the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Access to Justice and People-Centred Justice Systems: Empowering people. It begins by summarising the three provisions of the Recommendation under this pillar: providing equal and faire opportunities to all stakeholders to be informed, consulted and engaged in the design and delivery of justice services; fostering empowerment and legal literacy so that people can manage their own legal matters; and strengthening the capabilities of those working in the justice system. For each provision, the chapter provides a priority checklist, followed by a list of self-assessment questions, key actions to undertake, pitfalls to avoid and good practice examples from other countries.
Toolkit for Access to Justice and People‑Centred Justice Systems
5. Empowering people
Copy link to 5. Empowering peopleAbstract
Key provisions of the OECD Recommendation
Copy link to Key provisions of the OECD RecommendationEmpower people to make a people-centred justice transformation happen by:
Providing equal and fair opportunities to all stakeholders inside and outside the justice system, including marginalised, underserved and groups in vulnerable situations and individuals with lived experiences to be informed, consulted and engaged in the design and delivery of justice services while avoiding undue influence and policy capture.
Fostering empowerment and legal literacy of people, including the capacity to manage their own legal matters and disputes, where appropriate, through legal education, effective communication strategies, and multi-sectoral collaboration and outreach.
Promoting competence, professionalism, empowerment, engagement and diversity of the justice workforce in a transparent manner.
Providing equal and fair opportunities to all stakeholders to be informed, consulted and engaged in the design and delivery of justice services
Copy link to Providing equal and fair opportunities to all stakeholders to be informed, consulted and engaged in the design and delivery of justice servicesWhy is it important?
Services designed without sufficient understanding of the needs, circumstances, obstacles faced and other factors impacting all people, including different target groups will rarely be as effective and efficient as those designed through their engagement.
Laypeople may face challenges accessing, affording or navigating the justice system and formal legal institutions and may thus view them as distant and complex. Reforms initiated solely by the justice system may, therefore, not fully reflect citizen’s needs and experiences, and only have a limited impact. Ongoing engagement, communication, and the consultation with people– from defining legal and justice needs and how they are identified and measured to the planning, design and delivery of policies and services – are essential for effective outcomes.
Such engagement must be meaningful, consistent and people-centred: conducted in the language, format, location and through the channels that are the most accessible to the intended audiences. In practice, this may require linking justice services with other public services such as health, housing and employment, which are often the key points of contact for target groups. One-off or ad hoc efforts are often insufficient; there is a need for long-term, co-designed engagement with regular feedback. It also calls for close collaboration with non-governmental organisations that support target groups, to help deliver information and services where they are needed the most.
Priority checklist
A. Establish governance policies and frameworks that require the target groups to be informed, consulted and engaged.
B. Implement effective and appropriate engagement and consultation processes with target groups.
C. Support people, especially target groups, to be informed, consulted and engaged.
D. Establish partnerships with non-governmental stakeholders serving target groups to support their participation in justice processes.
A. Establish governance policies and frameworks that require the target groups to be informed, consulted and engaged
Self-assessment questions
Are target groups identified and prioritised?
Do existing laws and policies mandate justice institutions to regularly, effectively and meaningfully consult all people, especially target groups, on their legal and justice needs and on the design and delivery of justice services?
Are there governance structures (e.g. advisory councils, participatory mechanisms) with an appropriate budget that includes representation of people with lived experience, community-based organisations and other non-governmental stakeholders?
What are the key actions to consider?
Use Legal Needs Surveys (LNS) and official data (e.g., census, health, housing, social services) to identify target groups (e.g., groups at higher risk of legal and justice needs), in partnership with other state and non-governmental stakeholders.
Establish clear policies for the justice system mandating appropriate levels of stakeholder engagement and consultation (particularly for the planning, design and delivery of services), including the defined minimum standards for engagement.
Monitor and evaluate engagement with clear indicators, targets, and public reporting.
Establish safeguards (such as clear criteria for participant selection, independent oversight bodies, and rotating membership and term limits) to prevent tokenism, policy capture or undue influence in participatory processes.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to adopt a whole-of-society approach to identifying target groups, including those outside formal justice channels, can lead to poorly targeted services.
Failing to embed consultation processes in policies or institutional mandates and to set clear expectations for stakeholder engagement risks inconsistent practices, uneven quality, weak accountability and reduced legitimacy of participatory efforts.
Failing to ensure transparency and clear selection criteria for participation can limit the depth, reach and effectiveness of consultations, particularly in target groups, and increases the risk of policy capture.
Box 5.1. Good practice examples of frameworks to engage citizens in the design and delivery of legal and justice services
Copy link to Box 5.1. Good practice examples of frameworks to engage citizens in the design and delivery of legal and justice servicesIreland: Participation of children and young people in decision making
In 2015, Ireland introduced the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-making. This whole-of-government strategy, developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (since 2020 referred to as the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth), aimed at promoting the active participation of children and young people in decision-making processes, including in community, education, health, well-being and legal settings.
The present strategy includes:
The Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-making Action Plan 2024-2028, which builds on the ambition and achievements of the first National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-making 2015-2020, which set out and delivered on the Irish government’s commitment to realise the right of children and young people to be heard when decisions that affect their lives are being taken.
The National Framework for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-making provides tools and guidance to government departments, state agencies and non-governmental organisations to improve their practice in listening to children and young people and in giving them a voice in decision making.
New Zealand: Cabinet Community Engagement Guidelines
As part of its Open Government Partnership commitments and in response to the 2020 terrorist attack and the subsequent Royal Commission report, the New Zealand government aimed to strengthen community engagement in the design, development and implementation of policies. The government has developed the Policy Community Engagement Tool, which provides policymakers and their agencies with detailed guidance and key steps for inclusive, respectful and meaningful engagement.
B. Implement effective and appropriate engagement and consultation processes with target groups
Self-assessment questions
Are engagement and consultation strategies co-designed with target groups and used to inform justice system policies and actions?
Does the justice system maintain relationships with the representatives of target groups to enable effective and ongoing engagement, including target groups?
Are there collaboration mechanisms with other public services, such as health, housing, homelessness, and domestic-violence, to create pathways into justice for people with complex needs and other target groups?
Do justice institutions and services have a knowledge of and maintain partnerships with key non-governmental stakeholders serving the target same groups?
What are the key actions to consider?
Ensure that justice institutions have the mandate, capacity and budgets to engage proactively with all relevant stakeholders, including target groups, to inform all key policy, reform and service delivery actions.
Ensure that strategies for engaging target groups are informed by system-wide and society-wide approach and strategies developed in other public service areas (such as health and social services).
Where possible, co-design engagement strategies and activities with the target groups, including lived-experience individuals.
Implement regular monitoring and reporting processes to assess the effectiveness of engagement and the impact of participatory practices in justice policy and service delivery.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to monitor or evaluate engagement mechanisms and to involve non-governmental stakeholders can prevent learning, limit accountability, allow for ineffective practices, and reduce effectiveness of justice transformation efforts. It can also lead to missed trusted access points and existing infrastructure that can strengthen stakeholder engagement and reach target groups.
Box 5.2. Good practice examples of engagement and consultation processes with target groups
Copy link to Box 5.2. Good practice examples of engagement and consultation processes with target groupsBrazil: Access to justice for indigenous communities
Brazil is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world. With 305 indigenous ethnic groups and 274 indigenous languages, the challenges of access to government services are sizeable and often remain unsolved. In response, the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais, together with the Electoral Court, launched a project with the Maxakalí – a small indigenous community that faces barriers to accessing government services, including justice – to co-create solutions that help improve access to justice and other services. Targeting the communities in the rural Aguas Formosas region where more than 2 000 Maxakalí people and 190 families live, the initiative has taken a non-invasive approach. Courts aims to be perceived as guests and observers of the community rather than as external institutional bodies in their territories. Moreover, the project applied a methodology based on anthropological evidence collected from the Maxakalís to pilot an approach that is culturally sensitive and based on active listening. The initiative consisted of hearings and regular meetings to understand the community’s specific challenges and legal needs to make the delivery of justice services more inclusive. Altogether, more than 50 public hearings have been held in the Maxakalí native language. The project seemed to have a positive impact as, by the end of the project, the members of the Maxakalí community had filed a total of 105 lawsuits to protect their rights to social security and to gain legal recognition of their marriages.
Canada: Effective engagement and co-design in the development of the 2025 Indigenous Justice Strategy
In January 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada was mandated, in consultation and co-operation with indigenous partners, provinces and territories, to develop an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of indigenous people in the justice system. Aligned with this mandate, from 2021 to 2024, Canada worked with First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members, representative organisations, and provincial and territorial governments to develop a federal Indigenous Justice Strategy that would provide a basis for continued collaborative action. Based on this stakeholder engagement and on reports submitted by First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments and organisations, the final Indigenous Justice Strategy includes 26 priority action items and 3 distinction-based chapters, co-developed with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and interested modern treaty and self-government partners. The strategy aims to provide a vision and priority areas of action to urgently address the systemic discrimination and overrepresentation of indigenous people in the criminal justice system; support the revitalisation and enforcement of indigenous laws in the spirit of co-operative federalism; and improve community safety. The Indigenous Justice Strategy was publicly released on 10 March 2025.
C. Support people, especially target groups, to be informed, consulted and engaged
Self-assessment questions
Is there an adequate range and quantity of support services (including legal aid, advice and minor assistance services, counselling, and victim support) to enable people to participate in the design and delivery of justice services?
Do engagement strategies involve staff that are representative of the people they are intended to serve?
Does the justice system provide information and services in multiple languages and formats to accommodate the diverse needs of people?
What are the key actions to consider?
Identify the target groups that will most likely need support to effectively engage with the justice system, and the most-needed type of support.
Provide information and services in multiple languages and formats to accommodate diverse needs.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to support the meaningful participation of target groups and those with lived experience, as well as to provide tailored engagement support – such as accessible formats, capacity-building or trusted intermediaries – risks designing services that do not reflect the needs or realities of these groups.
Box 5.3. Good practice examples of supporting people to participate in the design and delivery of justice services
Copy link to Box 5.3. Good practice examples of supporting people to participate in the design and delivery of justice servicesCanada: Development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy
In 2023, Canada commenced work on its Black Justice Strategy to address the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims and survivors of crime, and to reform the criminal justice system to ensure that all people have access to equal treatment before and under the law. A key element of this process was facilitating comprehensive consultations with Black communities. Department of Justice Canada contracted 12 Black-led community-based organisations to lead targeted consultation and engagement activities across Canada. Comprehensive engagement with Black communities was achieved through these supported consultations and the availability of an online survey to enable Black people of all ages in Canada to contribute even if they could not participate in community engagement activities. Learnings from this engagement underpinned the design and development of the Black Justice Strategy.
D. Establish partnerships with non-governmental stakeholders serving target groups to support their participation in justice processes
Self-assessment questions
Do justice institutions provide non-governmental stakeholders with information, training and guidance to support their roles as “problem noticers” (see below), intermediaries and referrers for people experiencing legal and justice needs?
Are there formal mechanisms to co-develop materials with non-governmental stakeholders that help translate legal information into accessible formats for people and target groups?
What are the key actions to consider?
Consider establishing collaborative frameworks between justice institutions and non-governmental stakeholders to support joint planning, service delivery and feedback mechanisms across sectors.
Consider providing non-governmental stakeholders with targeted training, legal information and tools to enable them to identify legal and justice needs early (“problem noticers”) and refer individuals to the appropriate justice services and pathways.
Consider co-delivering assistance services with trusted non-governmental stakeholders, particularly those with established relationships in hard-to-reach or low-trust groups.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to identify and engage relevant non-governmental stakeholders can result in missed opportunities to reach underserved and other target groups and fragmented service delivery.
Developing legal materials without co-creation or user testing may result in resources that are inaccessible, culturally irrelevant or poorly adapted to the needs of the groups served.
Excluding non-governmental stakeholders from justice policy planning and evaluation processes may result in policies that are disconnected from on-the-ground realities and people’s legal and justice needs.
Box 5.4. Good practice examples of providing support to civil society organisations
Copy link to Box 5.4. Good practice examples of providing support to civil society organisationsAustralia: Webinars for community workers
The Legal Aid Commission in New South Wales runs regular free community legal education webinars designed especially for community workers, such as support workers, teachers, social workers, youth workers and health workers.
The webinars regularly cover a wide range of continuing legal education topics, including “So you got subpoenaed – what now”, which helps civil society organisation workers learn about subpoenas, what they are and how to respond to them, as well as what to expect when going to court, so they can support their clients.
Citizens Advice: Supporting independent charities under the national framework in the United Kingdom
Citizens Advice is a network of independent charities that provide free, confidential and impartial advice to help people with their problems. The network is co-ordinated by a central body known as the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, which operates under the name Citizens Advice.
Citizens Advice is supported by a range of funding sources, including some government departments, donations, volunteers and other public services. Importantly, they receive specialist support for the approximately nine separate public service areas, including benefits, consumer, debt and money, family, health, and “law and courts”.
Métis Nation of Ontario: Financial support to non-governmental stakeholders on access to justice in Canada
In 1993, the Métis Nation of Ontario was established through the will of Métis people and Métis communities coming together throughout Ontario to create a Métis-specific governance structure. Presently, the province-wide governance structure includes a registry of over 28 000 Métis citizens, approximately 30 chartered community councils, a provincial governing body, an annual general assembly, charitable foundations and an economic development arm. It has also built a delivery structure to meet the socio-economic needs of its citizens and communities.
The Law Foundation of Ontario has provided the Métis Nation of Ontario with substantial funding and support to enable its advocacy programme to increase the understanding of individual rights, responsibilities, and the legal system, encompassing knowledge and awareness of laws, regulations and legal processes that affect the lives of Métis people.
Sources: Legal Aid NSW (n.d.[10]); Citizens Advice (n.d.[11]); Métis Nation of Ontario (n.d.[12]); Law Foundation of Ontario (2024[13]).
Fostering empowerment and legal literacy so that people can manage their own legal matters
Copy link to Fostering empowerment and legal literacy so that people can manage their own legal mattersWhy is it important?
Promoting equal access to justice will require efforts to improve the legal capabilities of those who have traditionally faced barriers. Legal capability ranges from legal literacy – the ability to understand spoken and written legal information, complete forms, and communicate effectively in a legal setting – to the ability to manage their own legal matters by taking decisions about how to proceed to solve a justice problem and navigating the necessary procedures. If people increase their legal capability, they might be less vulnerable to legal and justice needs and more able to access justice services to resolve needs that do arise.
While the justice system is not responsible for improving broad literacy and numeracy, it is within its ambit to design public information, referral systems, forms, processes, advice services and expert legal assistance that meet the needs of people at all capability levels. This may mean providing targeted legal information and support when legal and needs arise.
As with reaching target groups in vulnerable situations, non-governmental stakeholders can play a vital role in helping to improve legal capability. This includes stakeholders working in other sectors with which people who have legal and justice needs often engage before reaching out to legal services. Such collaboration can help tailor legal capability initiatives to the people they aim to reach, ensuring broader and better access to justice.
Priority checklist
A. Understand the legal capability of the different groups of people, including target groups in vulnerable situations.
B. Implement a strategy to provide timely, targeted and appropriate legal education and information to enhance people’s capability.
C. Provide meaningful and accessible information concerning dispute resolution options, costs (including time) and options to support the individual’s decision making.
A. Understand and support the legal capability of the different groups of people
Self-assessment questions
Does the justice system regularly assess levels of legal capability across the jurisdiction including levels of legal knowledge, confidence and skills and take these into account in developing policy and designing services?
What are the key actions to consider?
Identify the key elements of legal capability and understand how they impact the experience of legal and justice needs and the responses people make to them.
Provide a range of information, advice and support services that are readily accessible to help people of all levels of legal capability address the most important and common needs they experience.
Develop relationships with other sectors and with appropriate non-governmental stakeholders to enlist their support in strengthening legal capability and providing referral pathways.
Encourage and support the inclusion of basic practical knowledge of the legal and justice services within citizenship education or civics classes, or similar programmes that teach people about their rights, responsibilities and the relevant institutions.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to assess people’s legal capability levels regularly may result in policies and services that do not address real-world needs or capacity gaps.
Box 5.5. Good practice examples of understanding the legal capability of different target groups
Copy link to Box 5.5. Good practice examples of understanding the legal capability of different target groupsThe Netherlands: Frontline information, advice and referral
In the Netherlands, the Legal Services Counters (LSC) act as front offices and provide primary legal aid (information and advice). There are 30 offices and 24 service points across the country, which share a website and a call centre. Due to the even geographical spread, Dutch citizens can find an LSC within a reasonable distance (within a one-hour radius by public transport). The offices have the same layout and appearance and have been designed to look inviting and accessible.
The initial contact at the LSCs is aimed at clarifying the nature of the problem. The legal advisors work with clients to find out:
whether the problem is actually a legal problem
whether the problem is within the scope of the legal services provided by the LSCs (LSCs do not deal with all legal problems – e.g. those between businesses)
what kind of help is most suitable for the client.
Potential clients can apply to the LSC for help through several different channels: website, telephone, counter or referral for a consultation (by appointment).
New Zealand: Building capability and Community Law
Community Law New Zealand incorporates the national leadership body and represents all community law centres around New Zealand. In addition to representing clients for specific legal matters, Community Law provides a range of online resources and community workshops to improve the capability and awareness of all New Zealanders. Online resources include the Community Law Manual, a range of easy-to-read guides and a series of letter templates addressing common legal matters (such as tenancy, privacy, consumer and employment matters) that assist New Zealanders to take steps to manage their problems themselves more easily.
Sources: van der Lans, Peters and Verdonschot (2023[14]); Community Law (2025[15]).
B. Implement a strategy to provide timely, targeted and appropriate legal education and information
Self-assessment questions
Is there an overall public legal education/justice information strategy for society?
Does the justice system provide legal education tools and opportunities that address most common and important legal and justice needs?
Is there a high level of awareness among citizens of public legal education/information resources and learning opportunities?
Are public legal education/information resources regularly evaluated, including through targeted feedback, to assess and improve their effectiveness?
What are the key actions to consider?
Develop and implement a co-ordinated, targeted justice system-wide public legal education/information strategy that:
is sufficiently centralised to ensure appropriate information and education resources are available for all groups of people and issues
takes a targeted approach focusing on specific topics of legal information for people in particular circumstances
ensures information is provided where and when it is needed the most and in formats people prefer to use
is developed with target groups in mind and with their involvement.
Implement an ongoing communications strategy to ensure high awareness of public legal education/information resources and learning opportunities among all groups of society.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to raise awareness of the available resources may result in low uptake and a limited impact on people’s legal capability.
Box 5.6. Good practice examples of providing legal education and information
Copy link to Box 5.6. Good practice examples of providing legal education and informationSpain: Providing targeted information for individuals with legal and justice needs
The digital transformation conducted through the 2030 Justice Plan includes the development of Justice Folders. The Justice Folder initiative aims to offer individuals, companies and professionals not only unified and homogeneous points of contact with the justice administration, as well as a personalised service for each contact. The Justice Folder initiative aims to unify and facilitate access to services. For each citizen, the Justice Folder will include a range of information such as the list of services that can be obtained, citizens’ rights and obligations using those services, judicial files in which the citizen was an interested party, access to personalised information in relation to legal matters that concern them, and avenues to make suggestions and file complaints.
The Netherlands: Online self-help, information and support
The Rechtwijzer website (Rechtwijzer translates into Roadmap to Justice; see www.rechtwijzer.nl) and the Legal Services Counter website offer online self-help, information and support. Rechtwijzer helps people find solutions to their legal problems in an interactive manner, focusing on a range of everyday areas of law and legal needs, including family, consumer, government, housing, employment and debt. Citizens can thereby navigate easy-to-use processes to solve their problems in their own time, at their own pace, at low or no cost, and with assistance when needed. Rechtwijzer combines publicly run guided pathways for common legal and justice needs with online products and services from private service providers. In 2022, Rechtwijzer registered more than 712 000 unique visitors.
United Kingdom: Public legal education
The Law Society is one source of public legal education. It aims to improve the public’s understanding of the importance of the rule of law, access to justice and constitutional rights. In practical terms, the Law Society provides plain-language information covering a range of common legal issues, such as buying a home, getting a divorce and making a will, as well as finding and using a solicitor and how to pay the legal services. In addition to information resources, the Law Society’s public legal education activities include sessions or workshops in places such as schools, youth groups and prisons; awareness-raising campaigns; and community events. Importantly, the Law Society provides a guide that assists law firms and legal professionals to develop a public legal education strategy or programme.
Sources: Law Society (2025[16]); Government of Spain (2023[17]); van der Lans, Peters and Verdonschot (2023[14]).
C. Provide meaningful and accessible information concerning dispute resolution options, costs (including time) and options to support individuals’ decision making
Self-assessment questions
Is there simple, up-to-date and accessible (e.g. written, online, visual, audio) guidance about the range of dispute resolution options available, including their comparisons?
For each dispute resolution option, is there clear, plain-language guidance on:
The likely costs involved for individuals or small businesses, including any fee waivers or subsidies?
The time frames typically required to resolve matters through each option?
The likelihood of success or resolution rates, supported by aggregate data or case studies?
Do justice institutions provide information on the availability of support services (e.g. legal advice, caseworkers, navigators) to assist individuals in selecting and pursuing the most appropriate dispute resolution option?
What are the key actions to consider?
Develop and publish simple guidance accessible in multiple formats that outlines the full range of dispute resolution options available, tailored to the most common legal issues faced by individuals and small businesses.
Provide clear, plain-language information on the likely costs and expected time frames.
Design and disseminate comparative tools and resources such as decision trees, checklists or interactive guides that help individuals evaluate and choose the most appropriate dispute resolution option for their situation.
Inform the public about the availability of support services, including legal aid, caseworkers and navigators, that can assist with selecting and navigating dispute resolution pathways.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to provide comprehensive guidance on the range of dispute resolution options can leave individuals unaware of all the pathways available to address their legal and justice needs.
Neglecting to provide information on key decision-making factors, such as likely costs, time frames and success rates, can prevent individuals from making informed choices.
Assuming that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is sufficient rather than tailoring information and support to the specific needs of different target groups and types of legal and justice needs.
Box 5.7. Good practice examples of information on dispute resolution options
Copy link to Box 5.7. Good practice examples of information on dispute resolution optionsEuropean Union: Publishing cost and cost calculations for taking legal action
The European Union promotes transparency in legal processes by ensuring that citizens can access information on the costs associated with court proceedings. In particular, the European Union mandates that individuals considering litigation or seeking to enforce a judgement be informed about the relevant procedural costs in each member state. This commitment is operationalised through the European Union’s e-Justice Portal, which serves as a central access point for cost-related information. Given that litigation costs in civil and commercial matters are governed by national laws rather than harmonised EU regulations, the e-Justice Portal provides direct links to each member state’s resources. This approach facilitates access to detailed cost information, enabling individuals and legal professionals to take informed decisions based on the legal and financial implications of initiating a court proceeding.
France: Online guide to alternative dispute resolution
Since alternative dispute resolution is mandatory in certain cases, France has published an online guide outlining the conditions where the use of such a mechanism is required. The website further provides information regarding the process, costs, benefits and other cases when the alternative dispute resolution might be sought. The guide further introduces potential third-party facilitators to the process. This includes the conciliateur de justice – a volunteer legal officer who assists in the resolution free of charge. To assist citizens in finding a conciliateur, the guide links to an external platform that helps users locate the nearest conciliateur based on their geographic location. If users are not able to find the information they are looking for, the website offers a list of relevant contacts, including a free public information line operated by the Ministry of Justice, along with references to relevant legislation, organisations and additional informational materials.
Sources: European Union (2021[18]); Government of France (2023[19]; 2023[20]).
Strengthening the capabilities of those working in the justice sector
Copy link to Strengthening the capabilities of those working in the justice sectorWhy is it important?
People working in justice institutions play a critical role in facilitating access to justice through people‑centred justice. At the very core of justice institutions and services are the individuals who work to deliver justice, including judges, court clerks, lawyers, administrators, community workers, and those working on people-centred information and communications technology. Equally important, administrative, public engagement and social support staff often play an important role as the first points of contact for people engaging with the justice system. All in all, it is the quality of the engagement between the justice workers and person seeking assistance that may determine whether the service is accessible and centred on peoples’ needs.
Enabling justice staff to participate in people-centred justice transformation and to create a culture of reform, service improvement and innovation is essential for sustainable progress in the justice system. Careful planning is needed to ensure that appropriate staff are recruited, capacities and capabilities are developed, and human and other resources are allocated where and when they are needed to deliver people-centred justice.
Priority checklist
A. Plan for the recruitment, development, maintenance and training of a justice workforce that facilitates access to justice
Self-assessment questions
Is there a justice system-wide staffing strategy, including with skills and capability requirements, that complements and supports the broader system-wide planning process for delivering people-centred justice?
Are there strategies to recruit, retain and promote staff from diverse backgrounds, particularly those representative of the people served?
Does the justice system have a system-wide ongoing workforce training and development plan? Does the plan include key people-centred justice competencies for roles and training?
What are the key actions to consider?
Based on the broader justice system strategy, map the key human resource requirements and existing gaps in terms of personnel, skills and capabilities as well as anticipated ongoing training and development requirements.
Develop targeted recruitment, retention, and promotion strategies to ensure the justice workforce reflects the diversity of the target groups it serves.
Develop and implement a system -wide ongoing workforce training and development plan as part of the justice system staffing plan, also based on client satisfaction and feedback results and regular review of effectiveness.
Develop a comprehensive range of tools, guides and other resources to assist justice system staff on a day-to-day basis in their role of facilitating access to people-centred justice.
What are the pitfalls to avoid?
Failing to develop a co-ordinated, justice system-wide staffing strategy results in fragmented workforce planning that is not aligned with people-centred justice goals.
Failing to define core skills, integrate diversity and inclusion, and anticipate the impact of digital transformation undermines the system’s ability to build a workforce that is equipped, representative and future-ready.
Failing to regularly monitor, evaluate and adapt workforce strategies risks stagnation and limits opportunities to improve responsiveness, innovation and service effectiveness in a changing justice environment.
Box 5.8. Good practice examples of developing a workforce to deliver people-centred justice services
Copy link to Box 5.8. Good practice examples of developing a workforce to deliver people-centred justice servicesItaly: Initiatives strengthening the capacity of courts to deliver people-centred justice services
Italy has undertaken a series of initiatives to strengthen capacities in the delivery of justice services. First, it has integrated a diversity of profiles (e.g. psychologists, economists, political scientists, statisticians, organisational sociologists) to support judicial activity. The Trial Office, introduced by Legislative Decree 179/2012, has also contributed to strengthening human capacity in courts. The reform included the extraordinary recruitment of personnel with diverse profiles, aimed at supporting judicial activities and addressing the needs of both the courts and justice users. This measure aimed to improve access to justice by supporting judges in their normal activities of study, legal research, and drafting and organising documents. It also included training to support digital transition in the justice system. The Cartabia Reform, on the other hand, has contributed to strengthening capacities by introducing a national register for court-appointed experts and enabling the mobility for these professionals. This register has favoured cases benefiting from the most suitable technical expertise.
Portugal: Advancing a people-centred justice system
Portugal’s Centre de Estudos Judiciáros (CEJ) designed its 2024-2025 Continuous Training Plan following a structured assessment process involving the Superior Councils of the Judiciary, Administrative and Tax Courts, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The objective is to update and develop the professional and personal competences necessary throughout the career of a magistrate. The plan delineates competency frameworks segmented by functional area, specialisation and thematic discipline. It covers technical-legal updates – via seminars and workshops on legislative changes and jurisprudence – as well as transversal skills such as stress management, decision making, communication and ethical-deontological training. This system-wide, competency-based training strategy ensures that legal professionals receive tailored, ongoing development aligned with both institutional priorities and evolving justice needs.
Sweden: Svarta Listan (blacklist) guide for simplifying legal language
The guide lists complex or outdated legal terms and suggests clearer alternatives. This initiative helps simplify legal language in legislation and judicial processes. It is a targeted simplification tool that has been published since 1988 by the legal chief in the Prime Minister’s Office, vetted by legal linguists and ministry staff.
United Kingdom: A toolkit for judges in family law cases
Writing to children is one important way of ensuring that they have the opportunity to participate in family court proceedings. A child’s right to participate in proceedings and to have the final decision communicated to them in a way they can understand is enshrined in international and domestic legislation and guidance – as a way of both informing welfare-based decisions and upholding children’s rights and access to justice. This toolkit has been co-developed with input from children and young people, judges, researchers and academics, social workers, clinical psychologists, communication experts, and others who work with children and the courts. It gathers together evidence and good practice, and is a helpful reference point for judges when they are trying to decide if and how to write to the child or children involved in their cases.
United States: The Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Toolkit
The Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Toolkit, developed by the US Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice, offers a structured guide for integrating civil legal aid into broader government services. Designed in collaboration with 17 federal agencies, it aims to support justice system actors in improving outcomes across policy areas such as housing, employment, healthcare and preventing domestic violence. The toolkit responds to the recognition that legal problems are often barriers to achieving broader social and economic objectives, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The toolkit includes practical guidance and real-world case studies on how legal aid can enhance public service delivery. It outlines key principles for civil legal aid, offers strategies for collaboration across sectors, and maps federal funding sources that justice institutions and legal service providers can access. Notably, it presents detailed examples of how legal aid has supported veterans, safeguarded families, prevented homelessness and improved access to healthcare, highlighting its relevance to frontline public service goals.
This toolkit exemplifies a comprehensive, government-endorsed resource to guide justice system professionals in embedding people-centred justice approaches within national policy frameworks. It also illustrates how legal empowerment can be operationalised through interagency collaboration and targeted resource planning.
Zambia: Recruiting and developing staff for different levels and modes of service delivery
As part of its strategy to improve access to legal aid services for vulnerable Zambians, a system of paralegals has been implemented to fill the gap of limited legal aid service provision. The paralegals offer affordable or free legal assistance to the population across the country. The system of paralegals has been established with three levels of service each with a different level of qualification and training:
Level 1 paralegals provide legal education, legal information, legal advice, legal assistance, mediation and negotiation, as well as orientation and referrals.
Level 2 paralegals provide legal advice, mediation and negotiation, and orientation and referrals.
Level 3 paralegals provide basic legal education, legal information, mediation, orientation and referrals.
Importantly, the recruitment and training of people to fill the different roles of paralegals at each level and in different locations or contexts (for example, some work in courts, some in correctional facilities and police stations, and some in civil society organisations), is based on the capabilities and knowledge needed for each of the roles.
Sources: Government of Italy (n.d.[21]); Government of Germany (2020[22]); CEJ (2024[23]; 2024[24]); Legal Aid NSW (n.d.[25]; n.d.[10]); US Department of Justice (2014[26]); OECD (2023[27]); Family Justice Young People’s Board (2025[28]).
References
[4] Brazil, Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region (2023), Relatório de Desempenho de Metas 2023, https://portal.trf6.jus.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Relatorio-CNJ-2023-01-04-24.pdf.
[23] CEJ (2024), “Continuous training”, web page, https://cej.justica.gov.pt/ENGLISH/Continuous-training.
[24] CEJ (2024), Plano de Formação Contínua 2024-2025, Centro de Estudos Judiciários, https://cej.justica.gov.pt/Portals/30/Ficheiros/formacao/continua/2024_2025/PFC_2024-2025.pdf.
[11] Citizens Advice (n.d.), “About us”, Citizens Advice website, https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us.
[15] Community Law (2025), Community Law website, https://communitylaw.org.nz.
[8] Department of Justice Canada (2025), “Canada’s Black Justice Strategy: Next steps”, web page, https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cbjs-scjn/ns-pe.html.
[3] Department of Justice Canada (2025), Indigenous Justice Strategy, https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/ijr-dja/ijs-sja/tijs-lsja/pdf/IJS_EN.pdf.
[18] European Union (2021), “Taking legal action: Costs”, web page, https://e-justice.europa.eu/topics/taking-legal-action/where-and-how/costs_en.
[28] Family Justice Young People’s Board (2025), Writing to Children: A Toolkit for Judges, Family Justice Young People’s Board, https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Writing-to-Children--A-Judges-Toolkit-V1.7-1.pdf.
[19] Government of France (2023), “Accord amiable pour éviter un procès civil”, web page, https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1732.
[20] Government of France (2023), “Conciliateur de justice”, web page, https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1736.
[22] Government of Germany (2020), Paralegal Service Delivery, GIZ and Enabling Access to Justice, Civil Society Participation and Transparency, Lusaka, https://www.bmz.de/resource/blob/137440/factsheet-paralegal-service-delivery-zambia.pdf.
[21] Government of Italy (n.d.), “Strengthening the Trial Office for Administrative Justice”, web page, https://www.italiadomani.gov.it/content/sogei-ng/it/en/Interventi/investimenti/rafforzamento-dell-ufficio-del-processo-per-la-giustizia-amministrativa.html.
[1] Government of New Zealand (2025), “Community engagement”, web page, https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-programmes/policy-project/policy-tools/community-engagement.
[17] Government of Spain (2023), “Digital justice and procedural efficiency measures”, web page, https://www.mjusticia.gob.es/es/JusticiaEspana/ProyectosTransformacionJusticia.
[13] Law Foundation of Ontario (2024), “$45.5M in funding to Ontario’s leading access to justice organizations”, news, https://lawfoundation.on.ca/news/45-5m-in-funding-to-ontarios-leading-access-to-justice-organizations.
[16] Law Society (2025), “Public legal education”, web page, https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/public-legal-education.
[25] Legal Aid NSW (n.d.), “Professional development”, web page, https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/for-lawyers/professional-development.
[10] Legal Aid NSW (n.d.), “Webinars and workshops for community workers”, web page, https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/ways-to-get-help/community-legal-education/community-legal-education-upcoming-events.
[12] Métis Nation of Ontario (n.d.), “About the MNO”, web page, https://www.metisnation.org/about-the-mno.
[2] OECD (2024), National Strategy for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making – Ireland, OECD, Paris, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2024/11/oecd-youth-policy-toolkit_7ae28a3d/national-strategy-for-children-and-young-people-s-participation-in-decision-making-ireland_580c7b7b.html.
[7] OECD (2023), Global Trends in Government Innovation 2023, OECD Public Governance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/0655b570-en.
[27] OECD (2023), “OECD Child-Friendly Justice Framework: Building a people-centred justice system”, OECD Public Governance Policy Papers, No. 41, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/6a60970e-en.
[6] OECD (2020), “Citizenship, democracy and justice for the Maxakali people”, web page, https://oecd-opsi.org/innovations/citizenship-democracy-and-justice-for-the-maxakali-people.
[9] Reginal, T. et al. (2023), Community Engagement Strategies to Advance Justice Reform: Implementation Lessions from Buncombe County, North Carolina, Cook County, Illinois, and New Orleans, Urban Institute, Washington, DC, https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/Community%20Engagement%20Strategies%20to%20Advance%20Justice%20Reform.pdf.
[5] Regional Electoral Court of Minas Gerais (2023), Abril Indígena: Projeto de atendimento a comunidades Maxakali é reconhecido internacionalmente, https://www.tre-mg.jus.br/comunicacao/noticias/2023/Abril/abril-indigena-projeto-de-atendimento-a-comunidades-maxakali-e-reconhecido-internacionalmente.
[26] US Department of Justice (2014), Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Toolkit, US Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/atj/file/450436/dl?inline=.
[14] van der Lans, F., S. Peters and J. Verdonschot (2023), National Report ILAG Harvard 2023: The Netherlands, International Legal Aid Group, Harvard Law School, https://clp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Netherlands-National-Report-ILAG-Conference-2023.pdf.