Relevance

The project idea offers solutions to problems/challenges in respective legal systems in terms of implementation of the legal rights of accused people.

Further explanation
The project’s goal is relevant to IBJ’s mission: protecting the legal rights of every man, woman and child accused of a crime, ensuring fair legal representation, and preventing torture and abuse in the criminal justice system. The project is also applicable to the current legal and political climate of the project’s region, and addresses largely ignored issues in that region.

Projects that scored highly exhibit these qualities
Projects that scored highly clearly target the legal rights of accused people. Projects that also focus on an issue that is largely ignored the local authorities, and projects that understand the areas of improvement within a criminal justice sector also scored highly.

Examples of projects that scored highly
1) A project which aims to prevent torture in detention areas and raise awareness on torture victims by conducting seminars and workshops. 2) The establishment of a legal aid clinic on women’s abuse in prison and monitoring arbitrary detention 3) Promoting rights of juveniles in prisons, and aiming to improve legislation on juveniles, which addresses a missing component in Pakistan’s legal justice system.

Projects that scored poorly exhibit these shortcomings
The project is not focused on one of the above elements of IBJ’s mission, and/or is inappropriate given the current local conditions. The project has vague goals, or an unclear link between the project goal and the rights of accused people.

Examples of projects that scored poorly
Women’s foundation, which focuses on income generation and credit schemes, with only vague references to women in prisons.