• Commonwealth:
• Access to affordable justice is crucial

Access to affordable justice is crucial

4 July 2008

Kamalesh Sharma underscores the vital role of the justice system as Commonwealth Law Ministers prepare to meet in Scotland between 7 and 10 July 2008

Law Ministers of the 53-member Commonwealth are meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland from July 7-10 to focus on the theme of the developing role of the Justice Minister in light of the challenges facing the rule of law in the Commonwealth.

“This year’s theme is of vital importance to all Commonwealth citizens, not only because the Rule of Law is one of the fundamental values of this organisation, but because of the crucial role of the Justice system and the Justice Minister in ensuring that people have access to affordable justice ,” said Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma.

“Where legal costs are too high, the ends of justice are frustrated, as they are when legal delays are protracted, or where legal processes are undermined by any form of inefficiency or, worse, any form of bias or interference”, Mr Sharma said.

Law Ministers will be discussing such issues as detentions and overcrowding in prisons; counter-terrorism; the proliferation of small arms and light weapons; juvenile justice; and human trafficking, as they set the Commonwealth agenda in legal and constitutional affairs for the next three years.

A high-level ministerial panel is also being convened to hold discussions on the theme. The panel is comprised of the Hon Robert McClelland, Attorney-General of Australia, the Hon H R Bhardwaj, Minister of Justice of India, the Hon Martha Karua, Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Kenya and the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland, the Attorney-General of the United Kingdom.

Commonwealth Law Ministers meet every three years to shape Commonwealth legal policy and set standards to which all Commonwealth countries can aspire.

Note to editors:

For media enquiries please contact Yvonne Chin, Communications Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat at y.chin@commonwealth.int and Tel: +44 (0) 7912 463 75.