Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee

The Pro bono and Access to Justice Committee's activities are aimed at fostering the recognition by every country of the principle that access to justice for all is a human right, the attainment of which requires adequate funding by the State and the provision of effective legal aid programmes. This principle was accepted in a resolution adopted by the IBA Council in Madrid on 1 June 1995.

The Pro bono and Access to Justice Committee provides an influential forum for lawyers from diverse legal backgrounds to exchange views and to discuss practical solutions to these problems, including the provision of state-funded and non-governmental legal aid and advice and assistance programmes, the use of public defender systems, voluntary pro-bono legal services by members of the bar, alternative dispute resolution, legal insurance, contingency and conditional fee schemes, and the use of procedural mechanisms such as the class action. Wide-ranging discussion and debate from the floor is encouraged at meetings. 

The Committee frequently combines with other Committees to hold joint meetings at IBA Conferences on topics of common interest connected with access to justice in the fields of criminal law, human rights, gender issues, children and the law and public interest litigation.

Constituent Officers

Please click here for a list of Pro-Bono and Access to Justice Committee Officers.


Chicago 2006 Session Summaries

The Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee has received many requests for information with regard to the speakers' presentations at both its 'Breaking Down Barriers to Justice' and 'Best Practices in the Design and Delivery of Legal Aid' sessions held at the IBA Chicago Conference in 2006. In response to this demand, the Committee has summarised each of these speaker's presentations and hopes that its constituents will find the summaries interesting, as well as useful in their professional areas. Please click here to download the summaries.

Constituent Publications

Click here to go to the Publications home page.

Click here to access the IBA Member's Directory.

Constituent Mailing List

To subscribe to the Access to Justice mailing list click here. (Committee members only)