Supporting Special Justice Sector Actors in Peru

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to support and build capacity of special justice sector actors (SJSA) while improving access to justice in Peru for rural and vulnerable populations, particularly in the regions of Puno, Cusco, Callao, and Ica. Special justice sector actors include indigenous justice systems and justices of the peace (non-lettered, meaning that they do not hold a law degree) and women judicial counselors (WJC or orientadoras judiciales in Spanish).Special Justice Sector Actors (SJSA), such as JoPs, may be the only representative of the justice sector with whom many vulnerable, rural community members may interact. In particular, JoPs represent the only courts available for hundreds of miles. In the past five years, Peru has had six presidents and regular cabinet turnover. Political instability and widespread corruption have undermined long-term efforts to create meaningful improvements in the justice sector and ensure widespread access to justice. This is particularly notable in rural areas where there is minimal state presence. As a result, SJSAs play a crucial role to provide access to justice in underserved regions and ensuring justice in domestic violence and gender-based violence cases, an acute issue in Peru. Though supported by the Peruvian government, the Peruvian judicial branch’s intercultural justice commission found that SJSAs are under-resourced and do not haveregular access to trainings and other initiatives available to more traditional justice sector actors. SJSAs require even greater support in areas of Peru where indigenous languages are prominent. Therefore, to expand access to justice to vulnerable populations and fight domestic violence in underserved areas, it is essential to understand the challenges of SJSAs, provide them training resources, and raise their profile in the judicial system.The project will seek to better understand, organize, build capacity, and support SJSAs, whose success will help expand access to justice for vulnerable populations and make Peru more secure, as per Mission Lima Integrated Country Strategy goals: Peru partners with the United States to create a more secure and equitable country and region and Peru strengthens inclusive democratic governance at home and abroad The program will also coordinate with other actors of special justice in rural areas. By strengthening SJSAs that are associated with justice sector institutions, INL can foster sustainable, stable relationships with important but often overlooked community members, while expanding access to justice in rural and/or indigenous communities, particularly regarding gender-based violence.
Categories: Law, Justice and Legal Services.