Civil Society Initiatives to Promote the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka, Quarterly Report

The program focuses on supporting targeted civil society organizations to promote the rule of law in Sri Lanka. Through the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the Legal Aid Commission (LAC), educational and research institutions, and civil society organizations, the program aims to build capacity among these counterparts to engage in evidence-based advocacy for comprehensive legal reforms, enhance legal education and training for lawyers, judges, and non-judicial officers, and improve access to legal services for marginalized and vulnerable populations. In the first year, CSI.ROL focused on building the BASL's and LAC's human and institutional capacity through the development of program support units and training of BASL members and LAC legal officers. In Year 2, building upon this foundation, CSI.ROL is focusing on developing and implementing a Strategic Plan for the BASL aimed at improving services to BASL members, developing the BASL's capacity to provide training for lawyers and other justice sector actors, developing a sustainable business platform for the BASL, and increasing the capacity of the LAC to design and implement legal awareness and outreach projects. Component 1 of the CSI.ROL program aims to increase the ability of the BASL to perform a full array of functions essential for providing services to its membership and for influencing the development of a more effective justice system. The program is building the institutional capacity of the BASL through a sister relationship with the American Bar Association (ABA) and a professional exchange program. The ABA and the BASL have established a relationship and developed a strategic plan, which will guide the activities between the BASL and the ABA over the life of the project and set out a plan for the BASL for the next five years. The Draft Strategic Plan covers topics such as advocacy on critical rule of law issues, support for outstation bars, and enhancement of the legal profession. The BASL leadership has identified six areas of greatest need and prioritized them as follows: financial stability and sustainability of the Bar, enhancement of the legal profession, diversity within the profession and ethics, consolidating management structure, enhancing the BASL's IT, and supporting the expansion of the legal profession. The ABA and the BASL are currently drafting the Implementation Action Plan. The CSI.ROL program is working to build the capacity of the BASL and other civil society organizations to promote the rule of law in Sri Lanka. The program is focusing on building the institutional capacity of the BASL, developing and implementing a Strategic Plan for the BASL, and increasing the capacity of the LAC to design and implement legal awareness and outreach projects. The program is also working to improve access to legal services for marginalized and vulnerable populations and to enhance legal education and training for lawyers, judges, and non-judicial officers. The CSI.ROL program is a three-year initiative that aims to promote the rule of law in Sri Lanka. The program is implemented by Millennium DPI Partners and focuses on supporting targeted civil society organizations to promote the rule of law in Sri Lanka. The program is working to build the capacity of the BASL and other civil society organizations to promote the rule of law in Sri Lanka and to improve access to legal services for marginalized and vulnerable populations.