ASEAN Justice Innovation 2023
16 August 2023
The ASEAN Justice Innovation 2023:
Rule of Law, Data, and the Future of Justice in ASEAN
The United Nations recognizes the Rule of Law as a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to be achieved by 2030. Not only is it a target in itself, under Goal 16 to “promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all”, but the Rule of Law is also an important factor that contributes to the fulfillment of other SDGs, as it is believed that sustainable development cannot be achieved without having Rule of Law. In Thailand, the Rule of Law has become a foundational principle, embedded in law and practice.
As prescribed in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, BE 2560 (2017), the country aims to create a society in which the law is fair, delivers justice to all people equally, and respects their rights and dignity.
The World Justice Project (WJP), an international civil society organization, produces the WJP Rule of Law Index, a quantitative assessment tool designed to measure and evaluate the extent to which countries adhere to the Rule of Law in practice. The index provides insights for governments to examine and strategically plan to improve the Rule of Law domestically, while the private sector can utilize the data to make business decisions. The 20-year National Strategy of Thailand has also designated the WJP Rule of Law Index as a key performance indicator for the success of its Master Plan.
The Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) recognizes the importance of enhancing the capacity of a country through a society where the Rule of Law prevails with a collaborative and innovative approach to building justice for all. This is especially relevant when the Rule of Law is in recession globally, and in ASEAN, particularly, it is falling behind global averages, leading to rights and freedom being at risk, as well as access to justice declining. Consequently, trust in the justice system, which is the foundation of a peaceful society, is likely to waver, and the economy and social well-being may also be adversely affected.
Thus, to prompt ASEAN countries to recognize the grave importance of enhancing the Rule of Law, TIJ, in collaboration with the WJP, is organizing the first ASEAN Justice Innovation 2023, under the theme of “The Rule of Law, Data and the Future of Justice in ASEAN” on 16-18 August 2023.Over the course of three days, there will be a series of interactive sessions, such as panel discussions, small focus groups, workshops, and exhibitions, to create a space for knowledge exchange regarding the Rule of Law, data in relation to the Rule of Law index, and ASEAN justice innovations. The event aims to unpack the opportunities and challenges around the Rule of Law in ASEAN, as well as engender a pioneering network that will gather new generations of justice innovators in the region.
16 August 2023: Data and Evidence-based Approach towards Rule of Law Reform
Participants will be exposed to various aspects of the current state of the Rule of Law in Thailand, frameworks to evaluate the progress of the Rule of Law using the WJP Rule of Law Index, and an understanding of how data is used in these contexts. Participants will also engage in discussions to develop a strategic plan to improve the Rule of Law Index score, with a focus on topics that are particularly relevant for Thailand, such as, corruption, criminal justice reform, statutory reform through the regulatory guillotine strategy, open data, and open government.
We believe that collecting data on justice needs, alongside systemic measurement to track progress on enhancing the Rule of Law in practice, is important to advance the quality of justice services that not only address the needs of the people but also build long-term trust and truly envision a collaborative approach.
Format: Seminar and small-group brainstorming (Thai)
17 August 2023: Enhancing People-Centered Justice Innovations in ASEAN
Although the approach towards justice innovation has been in focus and under development in various countries recently, it has not received significant attention in Thailand or the ASEAN region. This might be partly due to the ecosystems in these countries not being structured to easily accept transformations and innovations in the justice system. This event will create a space for justice innovators to gather and share their experiences around lessons and challenges learned, as well as collaborate to develop an enabling ecosystem for sustainable justice innovations. There will also be an exhibition that showcases the current leading justice innovations in the ASEAN region during the event.
Format: Panel discussion, workshop, and exhibition (English)
18 August 2023: Shaping the Future of Justice
For the justice system to accommodate fast-changing transformations effectively and in a timely manner, the mindset of personnel in the justice system must shift from a reactive approach (restricted to merely solving current challenges) to a proactive approach (such as employing tools like futures thinking to become equipped for what lies ahead). They must be able to envision possible future scenarios, and prepare to handle them, as well as imagine the justice system they desire. Participants will learn new tools and skills to think like a futurist, design possible futures of the justice system in ASEAN, and discuss ways to design paths to achieve their desired future of justice.
Fittingly, the afternoon session will uncover the future through the “12 Beauty of Freedom – NFT x Prison Project”, an auction of NFTs created by prisoners. Under the “Sustainable Future Career Development” project, TIJ invited NFT artists to guide prisoners from Chonburi Central Prison and Thon Buri Remand Prison along self-realization journeys through art. Participants will also get a chance to hear the inspirational stories behind each artwork in this session.
Format:
Morning – Workshop (English)
Afternoon – the launch and auction of 12 Beauty of Freedom: The NFT Collection (Thai/English)
TIJ and WJP hope that ASEAN Justice Innovation 2023 will ignite multi-sectoral partnerships from various sectors within Thailand and across the ASEAN region to enhance the Rule of Law as a foundation for sustainable development through collaboration and justice innovation.
(as of 11 Aug 2023)
