AQJS - Access to Quality Justice Services

Afghanistan’s justice institutions have made significant progress since 2001. Key legal instruments have been adopted, important services extended, and vital legal institutions revived or created. At least three broad challenges remain: promoting respect for women and girls, the actual delivery of justice services, especially to vulnerable populations, and increasing the sometimes still limited capacity of Afghan justice institutions.

The project will contribute to strengthening the trust between the citizens and the justice sector by improving access to quality justice services for all. In accordance with Afghanistan's priorities for justice sector reforms, recognized through the National Justice and Judicial Reform Plan (2017– 2021), this project will provide strategic technical and institutional support to ensure the inclusiveness, transparency, well-coordinated and respect for the protection of human rights of citizens to be enhanced across the entire justice sector. 

-    Ministry of Justice as the main state partner; 

-    Supreme court (gender unit and Elimination of Violence against Women court); 

-    Attorney General Office; 

-    Ministry of Women Affairs; 

-    Afghan people, particularly vulnerable groups such as women, children, prisoners and people with disabilities.

i    Access to quality justice services for Afghan men and women is improved;

ii    Justice and judicial institutions assisted to achieve their National Justice and Judicial Reform Plan (2017-2021) implementation.

Expected results:  

-    National justice institutions increased capacity and cooperation; 

-    Access to Legal Aid services for indigent and vulnerable groups specifically women, children and prisoners; 

-    A repository of positive and best practices of the customary justice systems developed for widespread advocacy through a positive deviance approach.

Results from previous phases:  

-    The previous project Afghanistan Access to Justice (AA2J) supported the establishment of 23 Elimination of Violence against Women Courts in 23 provinces;

-    The Human Rights Support Unit which was established with the support AA2J has been integrated within the Ministry of Justice and a dedicated department has been created; 

-    Afghanistan adopted a new Penal Code (2018), which is in line with internationally accepted human rights standards;

-    Afghanistan submitted its Universal Periodic Review report and several other reports on the implementation of international human rights treaties.

Phase 1 01.01.2020 - 31.12.2022   (Completed)