Program Goal / Need:
In September of 2013, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded the Civil Society Initiatives to Promote the Rule of Law (CSI.ROL) contract to Millennium DPI Partners, a partnership formed between Millennium Partners and Development Professionals, Inc. Millennium Partners is the majority owner of the company.
Program Description:
The CSI.ROL program focuses on supporting targeted civil society organizations to promote the rule of law in Sri Lanka. Working through the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the Legal Aid Commission (LAC), provincial bar associations, educational and research institutions, and civil society organizations, efforts are being made to build capacity among counterparts to:
- Engage in evidence-based advocacy for comprehensive legal reforms
- Enhance legal education and training for lawyers, judges, and non-judicial officers
- Improve access to legal services for women and communities in lagging regions.
Program Results:
CSI.ROL has been working closely with leading Civil Society organizations such as the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the Legal Aid Commission and key private sector entities to advance rule of law through legal training and expanded assistance programs. To date, training programs have been conducted or planned to strengthen the technical knowledge of judges, lawyers and judicial personnel. CSI.ROL team members have been working with Legal Aid NGOs to expand the delivery of legal assistance to women and other vulnerable groups in marginalized communities. Technical experts provided by Millennium on court monitoring and case management will commence work in the April to assist the government better collect data and improve its methodology so that it can begin to address the weaknesses in its court administration system and improve delivery of justice for its citizens.