Access to Justice is also advanced by ensuring that the rights guaranteed in the Constitution are realized. The overall objective is to ensure that issues pertaining to poverty and socio-economic transformation are advanced by using the Constitution. This requires making the courts and the judiciary accessible to the poor and the vulnerable communities who have difficulty in accessing the courts. This involves a transformation of the legal sector including the training of more Black and women practitioners skilled in the area of human rights and constitutionalism bringing diversity to the current dialogue on human rights.

Poverty, unemployment, and inequality are the biggest threats to South Africa’s democracy which further impacts on the challenge of ensuring that poor people know and understand how to access various human rights services. Access to Human Rights enhances the achievement of equality and human dignity. It gives voice to the poor and creates a society that not only knows its rights but knows how to protect and access them.

The programme will meet these goals by carrying out a range of activities that provide for enhanced access to justice. New Community Advice Offices will be set up in rural and township areas so that vulnerable groups can access assistance at grassroots level.   The capacity of community advice offices will be strengthened to enable them to improve their performance. The provisions of the Equality Act will be publicized and civil society’s capacity will be strengthened to effectively exercise their rights in this regard. Alternative dispute resolution (in the context of restorative justice) education programmes will be implemented for civil society organizations.

Support will be provided to marginalised communities, to strengthen their ability to access their rights. Activities will support civil society organizations’(CSOs)projects that counter the violation of systemic socio economic rights; assist vulnerable communities to access human rights services, especially to legal assistance; monitor and review litigation and constitutional judgments so as to achieve equality and eradication of poverty; transformation of the Legal Sector; and projects that counter violence against women, children, the elderly and disabled.

• New community advice offices will be established within a three year period - 45 Community Advice Offices (CAOs) in 3 years
• Service level agreements (SLA) with CAOs will be entered into, in order to strengthen their capacity within a three year period (50 SLAs in 3 years)
• A multifaceted strategy to educate people about the provisions of and access to their rights in respect of the Equality Act will be implemented
• To divert less serious offenders from the formal justice system through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in a manner that recognizes the rights of the victims, whilst re-integrating the offender through community intervention(Restorative Justice)
• Support for grassroots organization to assist targeted communities with systemic issues pertaining to socio-economic rights
• Vulnerable and marginalised communities will be supported to access human rights services in South Africa and the region, including through legal assistance
• The monitoring and application of litigation and constitutional judgments as a means of promoting equality and the eradication of poverty.
• Assist with the transformation of the legal sector
• Support programmes that address violence against women, children, the elderly and disabled.