The country programmes of ILAC’s member International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) are on the frontlines of providing access to justice during the COVID-19 pandemic. This time has been a source of significant programmatic incubation, and IBJ has been partnering with ministries, courts, prisons and defenders all over the world to create new solutions in this rapidly changing environment.
Some examples include:
- Burundi lawyers, who continue to undertake weekly police cell visits with COVID-19 prevention kits.
- Lawyers in the Democratic Republic of Congo who sent a letter to authorities requesting that prisoners held in pre-trial detention be granted temporary release until the court sessions resume.
- IBJ’s country manager in India, who convened an online seminar for 800+ lawyers to advise them on bail applications under the new laws regulating COVID-19 in prisons and his petition to the Supreme Court of India resulting early release of over 10,000 detainees
For more stories, visit: https://www.ibj.org/covid-19/ibj-response-stories-from-the-field/.
