This report provides thought provoking lessons from eastern and southern Africa that set out principles and approaches that can be used to position law and justice in development. It analyses how law and justice advance social, economic and cultural rights; assist societies to withstand crisis; and to drive inclusive growth that improves quality of life. It conveys concrete approaches from the region that help to shape continental and global discussion on rule of law and access to justice.

In so doing, the report reiterates acknowledged phenomena and shares recent practices, innovations and stories of change that dispel perceptions that legal and justice reforms have not gained traction in sub- Saharan Africa. We learn how to better use the law and justice as tools for sustainable development from the democratic governance reforms in Kenya; to the value of engaging with alternate justice systems in Uganda, Burundi and Malawi; and how to overcome the legacy of conflict in DRC and Burundi. We also bear witness to the impact of shifting trends in legal aid provision to secure rights and enhance access to justice for specific vulnerable groups such as persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Botswana, and the growing use of ICTs and social media in enhancing access to legal and other information on improving peoples’ lives and livelihoods.