According to a report published by the Task Force on Justice, an estimated 5.1 billion people are being failed by the justice system.
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 1st May, 2019) At least two-third of the world population lacks access to the justice system, a glaring gap between rich and poor and a stark reminder of the gulf that exists between those who are and are not given due process.
According to a report published by the Task Force on Justice, an estimated 5.1 billion people are being failed by the justice system.
Task Force on Justice is a team of justice leaders and experts from civil society, governments and the private sector.
The report said that of the 5.1 billion people with no meaningful access to justice, an estimated 1.5 billion – one in five people worldwide – have been left with justice problems they cannot solve, whether that involves a land dispute, consumer debt or being the victim of crime.
An estimated 253 million people live in extreme conditions of injustice and are deprived of any meaningful legal protections: 40 million people are modern-day slaves, 12 million people are stateless, and 200 million live in countries or communities where levels of insecurity are so high that they are unable to seek justice, the team found.
Providing universal access to basic justice could save the global economy billions of Dollars every year, as lost income and stress-related illness due to seeking legal redress can cost countries up to 3% of their annual GDP, the report stated.
The study found that injustice affects all countries, but women, children, people with disabilities, minority ethnic communities and the poor are worst affected. Across the world, half of all women questioned said they believed it was pointless to report a case of sexual harassment to the police, while two in five of all modern-day slaves are children, the report claims.
The cost of providing universal access to basic justice services is cheaper than healthcare or education, the report found. In low-income countries, basic justice would cost $20 (£15) per person, while universal Primary and secondary education costs $41, and healthcare costs at least $76, the report found.
