IJM Bolivia Cases Progress at ‘Rapid Pace’ Following New Law
IJM Bolivia Cases Progress at ‘Rapid Pace’ Following New Law (my piece from the IJM Newsroom) LA PAZ, BOLIVIA,…
Today I went to jail
The concrete walls soar straight up towards the sunny sky. It’s just like a fortress should be – a…
One week, three convictions
It’s been a big week for IJM Bolivia. Three convictions in one week is no small feat, particularly…
“Effectivisation”: A post about the law (and reforming it)
Bolivia is currently reforming its justice system. On October 31, the Bolivian Parliament passed a new piece of legislation, called the Law for the Decongestion and Effectivisation of the Criminal Procedure System. In case you were wondering, it's Ley de Decongestionamiento y Efectivización del Sistema Procesal Penal in Spanish - and "efectivización" isn't a real word in Spanish either, hence the weird translation.
Process is at the heart of justice - as important as a just result is a just procedure to arrive at that result. I'll confess I've forgotten a lot of what they taught me at law school, but this particular principal of justice has stuck with me. Working at IJM Bolivia, I am struck anew by how much of a paradox this often is.