Quarterly Technical Report: Access to Justice Activity (April—June 2014)

The program is in its second year of implementation, with the sixth quarterly performance report covering the period from April 1, 2014, through June 30, 2014. AJA is in full execution stage, with six regional offices fully functional and a seventh office in the process of being created in the north of Cauca. In Component One, Justice Houses (JHs) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), AJA has designed an exit strategy for concluding USAID support to the National Program for Justice Houses (NPJH). NPJH is now largely sustainable, and all AJA JH support is expected to end by July 31, 2015. As part of the AJA JH Exit Strategy, the Justice House and Sustainability Development Index received USAID approval, and AJA will conduct the first evaluation and analysis of twenty-four JHs located in or near the AJA targeted municipalities of Consolidation Zones (CZs). Through Project assistance, JHs provided services through mobile JH brigades to over 389 people this quarter in rural areas who have limited access to the state justice system. AJA has begun the promotion of community conciliation with municipal authorities in seven locations where the National University's School for Community Justice (NUSCJ) is completing the Methodology to Implement the Community Conciliation Process (MICE) sanctioned by the Ministry of Justice and Law (MJL). AJA continued support for the implementation of the Criminal Accusatory System (SPA) and the Juvenile Criminal System (SRPA) in the seven locations. Additionally, AJA provided training to 150 community leaders on the SPA and SRPA, and conducted a survey of 1,000 community members to assess their knowledge and perceptions of the SPA and SRPA. In Component Two, Gender, AJA continued to support the National Gender Commission of the Judicial Branch (NGC) in its efforts to promote gender equality and address gender-based violence (GBV). AJA provided training to 50 judges and prosecutors on GBV and gender-sensitive justice, and conducted a survey of 500 women to assess their experiences with GBV and access to justice. AJA also supported the implementation of the National Program for Equity Conciliation (NPEC) in seven locations, which aims to promote conciliation and mediation in cases of GBV. In Component Three, Justice Reform, AJA continued to support the Colombian Attorney General's Office (AGO) in its efforts to reform the justice system. AJA provided training to 100 prosecutors on the SPA and SRPA, and conducted a survey of 1,000 community members to assess their knowledge and perceptions of the SPA and SRPA. AJA also supported the implementation of the National Program for Justice Houses (NPJH) in seven locations, which aims to provide access to justice for marginalized communities. Overall, AJA has made significant progress in its second year of implementation, with a focus on promoting community conciliation, supporting the implementation of the SPA and SRPA, and addressing GBV and gender-based inequality.