Justice Financing Framework
A Guide to Budgeting and Financing for People-Centered Justice for the Justice Sector
The Justice Financing Framework (JFF) guides country-level justice financing and budgeting for people-centered justice and draws on over forty years’ experience from other service delivery sectors, especially health and education, which have successfully scaled up front line services to millions of people over the last twenty-five years.What is the JFF?
The JFF provides guidance on how country-level financing and budgeting can support people-centered justice. Commissioned by the Justice Action Coalition (JAC) as part of their commitment in the 2019 Hague Declaration and the 2023 Justice Appeal to pivot to people-centered justice, the JFF is framed around recent and practical thinking on people-centered justice.
People-centered justice starts with users and the need to deliver effective pathways to solve their everyday justice issues. Pivoting to people-centered justice does not mean continuing with business as usual. Instead, it involves a transition to new approaches focused on service delivery at the community level and is also likely to involve sectoral and regulatory reform, with a strong emphasis on research and development.
Introduction and Purpose
People-Centered Culture and Purpose
Part 1: Setting High-Level People-Centered Justice Objectives
The "Outcomes Focused on the Resolution of People’s Justice Problems" background brief discusses setting outcome level objectives based on the resolution of people’s most pressing justice issues and the required functions to achieve these objectives; the current data challenges in measuring the resolution of justice problems and proposes a possible solution; output level objectives and indicators; merits of input level objectives and indicators, including measuring service quality; and provides examples of cooperation and coordination between justice sector organizations in planning and setting objectives.
More Money for Justice
The JFF considers justice sector funding sources and the scope to increase available funding.
Part 2: Assessing the Scope for Increasing Resources
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Download Background 2.1 "Financing Ambition #1: Justice Sector Share of Total Government Expenditure" explains how cross-country benchmarks have been derived and discusses the relatively high average level of justice-sector spending in non-OECD countries.
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Download Background Brief 2.2 "Judicial System’s Share of Total Government Expenditure" sets out the cross-country benchmarks, explains how they have been derived, and discusses patterns of allocation common to judicial systems across all country income groups.
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Download Background Brief 2.3 "Contributions to Costs by Beneficiaries" considers the scope for users and beneficiaries to contribute to the cost of primary front line justice services. It considers the principles for allocating costs, discusses user fees for dispute resolution services, and reviews payment mechanisms for advice and assistance.
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Download Background Brief 2.4 "Private Sector Investment in Justice" discusses the potential for private-sector financing and entrepreneurship to deliver primary justice services and how to mitigate the risks of private-sector involvement.
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Download Background Brief 2.5 "Financing Ambition for Countries in Receipt of Significant External Development Support" discusses the latest developments in external aid, explains how the financing ambition is derived, and discusses the justice financing gap and the implications of the financing ambition for funding primary front line justice services in lower-income countries.
More Justice for the Money
The JFF considers the smart deployment of resources to ensure funds are spent so they deliver more justice outcomes from available resources. This involves considering what is funded and how budgets are set so that, in a resource-constrained environment, financial resources are used efficiently and effectively, with a focus on people-centered outcomes.
Part 3: Setting Spending Priorities in Line with People-Centered Justice Objectives
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Download Background Brief 3.1 "Defining Primary Front Line Justice Services" outlines the origins of the concept of primary front line services, explains how other sectors approached its definition, and provides an initial working definition.
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Download Background Brief 3.2 "Financing Ambition #2: Primary Front Line Justice Services" explains how financing ambition relates to primary front line justice services
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Download Background Brief 3.3 “Financing Ambition #3: Information, Advice, Assistance, and Informal Dispute Resolution” explains the reasons for this financing ambition and why it should be prioritized.
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Download Background Brief 3.4 "Scalable Best Value-for-Money Activities" explains the concept and provides examples.
Part 4: Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness of Spending
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Download Background Brief 4.1 "Regulation of People-Centered Justice Services" considers the need for more coherent regulation of people-centered justice services and the specific issues of regulating the legal profession.
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Download Background Brief 4.2 "Financing Ambition #4: Research, Development, Governance, Evidence-Based Practice, and Continuous Improvement" discusses the need for an integrated approach to research and development, outcome-focused governance, and evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.
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Download Background Brief 4.3 "Systematic Efficiency and Effectiveness Expenditure Reviews" provides additional information on the potential for smart spending to improve justice outcomes, the World Bank’s approach to public expenditure reviews, and examples of efficiency and effectiveness improvements.
Part 5: Developing Achievable, Costed, Prioritized, Transparent, and Accountable Plans
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Download Background Brief 5.1 "Achievability, Costing, and Prioritization" discusses some considerations for developing a fully costed and prioritized medium-term reform and investment plan for people-centered justice.
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Download Background Brief 5.2 "Transparency and Accountability" discusses transparency and accountability for people-centered justice in planning, resource allocation, and spending.