The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ) has announced the publication of a series of reports and other research publications that examine the costs and benefits of community-based justice initiatives globally. The research stems from a collaborative, multi-country, multi-year study with research teams at the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice in Canada, the Centre for Community Justice and Development in South Africa, the Centre for Alternative Policy Research and Innovation in Sierra Leone, and the Katiba Institute in Kenya.

The main objectives of the Community-Based Justice Research (CBJR) project were:

(1)          Identify and assess the costs to justice seekers and providers of locally accessible justice services relative to the outcomes of these justice services; and,

(2)          Based on research insights, explore the potential to better support and scale community-based justice programs for broader impacts.

The project has resulted in a rich collection of reports, papers, blogs and other resources, including:

• Exploring Community-Based Services, Costs and Benefits for People-Centered Justice – Final CBJR Project Report: https://cfcj-fcjc.org/wp-content/uploads/Exploring-Community-Based-Services-Costs-and-Benefits-for-People-Centered-Justice-by-Trevor-CW-Farrow-and-Ab-Currie.pdf
• Community Justice Services: Models from Around the World – Report: https://cfcj-fcjc.org/wp-content/uploads/Community-Justice-Services-Models-from-Around-the-World-Lisa-Moore.pdf
• Community-Based Justice Initiatives – Infographic: https://cfcj-fcjc.org/infographics/community-justice-initiatives/
• Costs and Benefits of Community-Based Justice in Sierra Leone final report: https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/61131/Costs%20and%20Benefits%200f%20Community-based%20Justice_SierraLeone.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
• Alternative Approaches to Access to Justice in Kenya: A Cost-Benefit Analysis: https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/61056/IDL-61056.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y
• Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Services Offered by CAOs [Community Advice Offices in South Africa]: https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/61139/IDL-61139.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

View the full CBJR research collection on the CFCJ website here: https://cfcj-fcjc.org/our-projects/community-based-justice-research-cbjr/.

The Community-Based Justice Research project was funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).