Publication: Access to Justice and Alternative Dispute Resolution Systems: A 2024 A2J-ADR Assessment Report
Loading...
Date
2025-04-30
ISSN
Published
2025-04-30
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The World Bank (WB)-supported Public Expenditure and Institutional Review of the Zambian Judicial Sector (PIER) of the Zambian Judicial Sector (WB, 2022) analyzed access to justice from the supply side only, making recommendations to streamline processes and procedures within the Zambian courts to alleviate access challenges. Therefore, a complementary study was needed to assess the following two areas: 1) demand side aspects of access to justice, especially in under-served areas of Zambia; and 2) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes and systems in Zambia (and their potential to support the overburdened formal court system). The Assessment contains four substantive components (Chapters 2–5). Chapter 2 comprises the access to justice component of this Assessment, and Chapter 3 the ADR component. Chapter 4 proposes near-to-medium term recommendations to improve the access to justice situation in underserved communities and enhance ADR uptake. Chapter 5 examines the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)’s new strategic plan (SP) (2022–2026) (MoJ, 2023) through the lens of the PEIR and this current assessment.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Ahmed, Lobna; Andrews, Donna. 2025. Access to Justice and Alternative Dispute Resolution Systems: A 2024 A2J-ADR Assessment Report. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43142 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Rule of Law in International Development Cooperation(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2010-01)The role of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in efforts to strengthen the rule of law is attracting increased interest in international development cooperation. From a development perspective, the principal interest in this question is a concern for expanding rights and opportunities for poor people who do not fully benefit from the protection of the law in their daily lives. Other interests in ADR, such as in commercial arbitration and court-annexed mediation in civil litigation, also have important positive implications for development. Facilitating commerce and expediting the disposition of lawsuits are valuable services and worthwhile undertakings. However, the principal focus for development is on the non-formal processes intended to expand access to justice. These include statutory schemes, such as the barangay justice system in the Philippines; state-sponsored mediation centers, such as those of the Procurador General in El Salvador; traditional systems that provide the vast majority of dispute-resolution services in many African countries; and systems of mediation and conciliation operated by public and private entities throughout the world. This paper briefly reviews the concept of development and related international cooperation. It then examines how the rule of law has been addressed in development programs and offers some thoughts about the contribution of ADR for advancing the rule of law and, in turn, contributing to human security, well being, and dignity.Publication Alternative Dispute Resolution - When It Works, When It Doesn't(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-09)Alternative dispute resolution encompasses arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and other methods-short of formal litigation-for resolving disputes. Alternative dispute resolution offers several advantages over a lawsuit. It is less adversarial and in some cases can be faster and less expensive. It can also reduce court workloads. For these reasons its use is being promoted by court reformers in many developing and transition economies.Publication Settling Out of Court : How Effective is Alternative Dispute Resolution?(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-10)Alternative dispute resolution can help the justice system in a country function more efficiently. It often saves costs and time and increases user satisfaction. For cases that go back to court, however, the total cost and time may increase. Alternative dispute resolution can also have indirect benefits. It can increase the effectiveness of courts by reducing bottlenecks. And it can improve trust in the legal system, which may increase foreign investment.Publication Republic of Bulgaria : Alternative Dispute Resolution for Financial Services Options(Washington, DC, 2013-06)The objective of this technical note is to evaluate the existing legal, regulatory and institutional framework of financial Alternative dispute resolution body, for example an ombudsman (ADR) mechanisms in Bulgaria, and to present the authorities with options for reform and improvement. There is a need to further strengthen and reform the existing financial ADR framework in Bulgaria. Fortifying the design and structure of financial ADR mechanisms is an important step to increase currently low levels of consumer trust in financial services. In addition, the implementation of the recently approved European Union (EU) Directive on ADR will require a significant amount of restructuring and reorganization of the existing ADR mechanisms in Bulgaria in order to be compliant with the new required standards. An ADR will not be a success unless consumers can be confident that financial services providers will take part and will follow decisions in favor of the consumer. Bearing in mind the Bulgarian context and the limitations imposed by the Bulgarian constitution, it is recommended to opt for a compulsory and binding ADR structure, but with a possibility to appeal to court. Moreover, financial services providers should bear the first-line responsibility for resolving complaints and be subject to similar complaints handling rules and procedures. In order to be successful, the new arrangements for financial ADR need to command respect from financial services consumers, financial services providers and the authorities. Where the views of stakeholders currently diverge, some compromise will be necessary in order to create a coherent and workable system.Publication Empowering Women in Pakistan : Commercial Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-10)An overburdened court system adds to the disadvantages of women in Pakistan. Women entrepreneurs who lack the time and resources to battle a dispute in the courts also run the risk of being victimized for highlighting their problems. Mediation provides a valuable alternative, allowing women and others to settle disputes out of court. As a dispute-settlement mechanism, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is gaining prominence and increased application in most parts of the world. Its benefits are several. However, for countries where the justice system lacks efficiency, embracing ADR is also difficult. In 2006, International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched an ADR project with a goal of institutionalizing mediation for the first time in Pakistan. Although the project had no provision for separate gender activities, opportunities were created for reaching out to women entrepreneurs and others. This smart lesson relates our experiences and the lessons the authors learned, demonstrating in particular how gender became an integral part of the project and the impact it gained over time.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Infrastructure Monitor 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-28)The Infrastructure Monitor report covers global trends in private investment in infrastructure to inform investors, policy-makers and other practitioners. The objective is to deliver global insights on global infrastructure trends across key topics such as investment volumes, performance, blended finance, and ESG drivers, facilitating the monitoring of private infrastructure investment and its performance. These insights aim to support policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders in developing sustainable, resilient, and inclusive infrastructure while fostering effective partnerships with the private sector. Acknowledging the significant infrastructure data gap — with notable variations in coverage, quality across countries and income groups, and differences in the availability of regional breakdowns — our approach leverages the best available aggregated data from leading infrastructure databases to generate market insights while also providing context on its limitations. 2025 will be the fifth version of the report, the first under the World Bank.Publication Leveraging Immigration for Croatia’s Prosperity(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-11)Croatia is at a critical demographic crossroads. Against a backdrop of an aging and declining population, Croatia is transitioning from a country of emigration to one increasingly relying on foreign workers, with profound implications for the nation’s economic and social fabric. While recent reforms have strengthened the migration governance structure, significant challenges remain in the selection, employment, and integration of foreign workers. This report summarizes the report titled Leveraging Immigration for Croatia's Prosperity, which assesses Croatia’s migration system and presents strategic policy actions to maximize the positive impact of immigration while addressing key challenges for Croatia’s economy.Publication Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2025: Accelerating Growth through Entrepreneurship, Technology Adoption, and Innovation(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-23)Business dynamism and economic growth in Europe and Central Asia have weakened since the late 2000s, with productivity growth driven largely by resource reallocation between firms and sectors rather than innovation. To move up the value chain, countries need to facilitate technology adoption, stronger domestic competition, and firm-level innovation to build a more dynamic private sector. Governments should move beyond broad support for small- and medium-sized enterprises and focus on enabling the most productive firms to expand and compete globally. Strengthening competition policies, reducing the presence of state-owned enterprises, and ensuring fair market access are crucial. Limited availability of long-term financing and risk capital hinders firm growth and innovation. Economic disruptions are a shock in the short term, but they provide an opportunity for implementing enterprise and structural reforms, all of which are essential for creating better-paying jobs and helping countries in the region to achieve high-income status.Publication Air Quality Management in Central Asia(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-02)This report aims to enhance the understanding of the priorities, needs, and solutions for improving air quality (AQ) in Central Asia (CA) through local action and regional collaboration. It focuses on key components of holistic air quality management (AQM): evidence-based analytics to identify the main sources of air pollution in CA, application of modern tools to assess the impact of cost-effective measures to improve AQ, assessment of the institutional and governance setup for AQM in CA with recommendations to strengthen it, and approaches to financing AQ improvement. Given the lack of comprehensive systematic and validated emission inventories of all PM2.5 precursor emissions, the technical assessment employs the regional emission inventory of the Greenhouse Gas - Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model. Input data were updated for this study based on recent energy statistics and relevant national surveys. This report addresses emissions and the regional transboundary flows of pollution between Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Subsequently, the resulting PM2.5 concentrations in ambient air throughout CA were computed with the atmospheric chemistry and transport calculations of the GAINS model. Employing the source apportionment results of the GAINS model, the analysis then examines the contributions to PM2.5 population exposure. The report also presents source apportionment analyses for important air pollution hot spots in CA: Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Bishkek (the Kyrgyz Republic), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Astana, and Almaty (Kazakhstan).Publication Cities’ Partnership Initiative(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-24)Sustainable urban development is one of the key areas of development policy in Poland, which is in line with global trends. Sustainable urban development requires an integrated approach that takes into account the complexity and dynamics of phenomena and processes taking place in the urban environment. Meeting the challenges of urban development requires, on the one hand, a steady increase in the capacity of cities to plan and implement development projects, and on the other hand, a favorable regulatory and financial framework and support instruments that are an adequate response to the needs of urban centers. The Cities’ Partnership Initiative (CPI) is a flagship project of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland (MDFRP) aimed at supporting sustainable urban development. This final report is the third product of the Reimbursable Advisory Service Agreement on Sustainable Urban Development - Cities’ Partnership Initiative concluded between the MDFRP and the World Bank on January 28, 2022. The report summarizes the project work, including the results of the work of 30 CPI-participating cities, and presents conclusions and recommendations on the three thematic networks and the CPI formula itself.