[{"bbox": [146, 146, 1080, 364], "category": "Table", "text": "<table><tr><td>Risk related to the external environment</td><td>Political interference affecting independence of oversight and justice institutions.</td><td>Medium</td><td>Medium</td><td>Enhance political dialogue to address external influence, support for institutional capacity building and coordination facilitation between oversight institutions. Ensure conditions for stronger demand for access to justice and accountability.</td></tr></table>"}, {"bbox": [157, 365, 317, 389], "category": "Section-header", "text": "Lessons Learnt:"}, {"bbox": [157, 417, 1072, 525], "category": "Text", "text": "After two decades of support to governance in Malawi, the major lesson learned from previous EU programmes is that support to institutions alone will have limited results if not paired with the genuine interest from Government Counterparts to address the root causes of the major inefficiency of the Justice Sector in the country."}, {"bbox": [157, 550, 1072, 707], "category": "Text", "text": "The experience developed under the ongoing Chilungamo Programme, supported by a number of studies conducted in the sector over the last few years clearly shows that in order to increase demand for access to justice, it is important to identify and address the disincentives that currently dissuade rights-holders from making those demands while, at the same time and on the supply side of the equation, dealing with all those issues that constrain duty bearers from being more responsive to the demands."}, {"bbox": [157, 736, 1072, 843], "category": "Text", "text": "On this basis, the Action intends to continue the work initiated with the justice sector institutions in areas related to efficiency, inclusiveness and transparency while enhancing the work on the demand side, in particular with a more tailored and targeted support to those segments of society that are most likely to be excluded from the formal justice system."}, {"bbox": [157, 868, 1072, 1052], "category": "Text", "text": "The work conducted over the last few years clearly signal the need for greater collaboration and result oriented interventions (as opposed to capacity building as an end in itself) and that programmes aimed at improving access to justice work best when they include a focus on improving coordination, collaboration and cooperation amongst role players. The Action will focus on enhancing coordination among justice sector institutions building on the successful experiences tested under the Chilungamo programme and going beyond that with an increased emphasis on the implementation of coordination mechanisms at the local level."}, {"bbox": [157, 1080, 1072, 1214], "category": "Text", "text": "The experience gained with previous interventions suggests that access to justice is also improved when specific and more proportionate procedures and sanctions are in place for minor (civil) matters. For this reason, the Action will further the work for the introduction of and increased reliance on alternative sentences (such as community service), and measures such as the parole system for the rehabilitation of prisoners."}, {"bbox": [157, 1239, 1065, 1505], "category": "Text", "text": "Ultimately, there is a recognition that sustainability of donor funded interventions in the justice sector is a challenge. Due to the extremely limited (and shrinking) fiscal space, the government has to finance activities that go beyond the already stretched operating costs, investments in areas not perceived as essential to directly foster economic development tend to be penalised. While continuing the dialogue with key decision-makers to a better understanding of the benefits arising from a well-functioning justice system, the Action will also explore specific elements of the programme to be sustained and continue beyond the Action by local government in the context of the on-going decentralisation process. Cost-sharing experiences that proved successful under the Chilungamo Programme (e.g. rehabilitation of VSUs at the police stations and of Magistrate Courts) will be replicated."}, {"bbox": [965, 1662, 1080, 1686], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 10 of 23"}]