An increasing number of people in NSW are being shut out of the justice system because they are refused legal aid and are too poor to pay for a lawyer.

In 2012, the UK remains one of the world’s strongest advocates for the international development agenda. The most recent figures show the UK is the world’s third largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) in absolute terms, and ranks sixth in terms of its ODA spending as a proportion of gross national income (GNI).

The AidWatch Report 2012, ‘Aid We Can: more investment in global development’, written by CONCORD, the European confederation for Relief and Development NGOs, shows that:

The Open Society Justice Initiative is calling upon the European Council of Ministers and Parliament to develop a strong EU Directive to guarantee the right to early access to legal representation for all people accused or suspected of crimes.

One of the cornerstones of the United States criminal justice system is the right to legal representation for criminal defendants. In the United States the right is confirmed by the federal Constitution, but many countries also guarantee this right to their citizens through their domestic laws.

Paralegals fix problems between husbands and wives, between neighbours, or between people with conflicting claims on land. Living in the same communities where most legal problems occur, they can operate at low cost and extend the reach of the justice system.

The rights of people arrested on suspicion of committing a crime are under the spotlight in Europe. Action is being taken to make sure that the rules are the same in all EU countries, and that everyone has the right to fair and transparent procedures.

This was the message from the 50 members of the Nigerian community and Ukrainian civic activists who gathered outside the Luhansk SIZO [pre-trial detention centre] on 2 June to pass on birthday wishes to Olaola Sunkami Femi. Since the young student from Nigeria has been held in detention for 7 months now, the main wish was clearly for his release.

"You have the right to… - a Letter of Rights". A new law to ensure defendants' right to information during criminal proceedings throughout the European Union has been published in the Official Journal – the EU's statute book.

The United Nations launched an online platform that will track the progress on the financial and policy commitments made by countries towards realizing the anti-poverty and social development targets known as the Millennium Development Goals.