International experts highlight benefits of Open Justice

Santo Domingo.- Four international experts shared this Wednesday 27 a common vision of the Open Justice theme during the International Conference held by the Judicial Branch of the Dominican Republic and which has as guests presidents and representatives of judicial powers from 21 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the world. 

When addressing the first plenary session with the theme “Challenges to boost the open justice agenda in the regional and global context”, moderated by magistrate Samuel Arias Arzeno, of the Dominican Supreme Court of Justice, doctors Roby Senderowitsch, governance manager of the World Bank; Margaret Satterthwite, special rapporteur of the United Nations; Alejandro Ponce, executive director of World Justice Proyect, and Tatiana Teplova, from Global Alliances, Inclusion and Justice, agreed in highlighting that open justice constitutes a new modality that creates more and more trust in citizens. 

They highlighted the need for judges to use plain language focused on people's own environment and development, in order to generate trust and bring justice closer, especially for the most vulnerable.

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They understand that open justice must innovate and advance more and more, creating accessibility and involving governments, institutions, and civil society to close gaps and provoke resilience, economic growth, and confidence in investments. In the conference, 21 countries participate: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, United States, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.

This Wednesday, the first International Open Justice Conference was opened, which was attended by President Luis Abinader Corona. The event is held from August 27 to 28 and aims to move towards a more transparent, collaborative, and people-centered institutional model. The conference will conclude with the signing of a new regional pact through the Santo Domingo Declaration for Open Justice, a document that expresses the collective commitment to the transformation of justice systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

About Open Justice  

Open Justice is an approach that seeks to transform the administration of justice to make it more transparent, participatory, collaborative, integral, and responsible. This concept is inspired by the principles of Open Government, promoted by the Open Government Partnership (OGP). It also refers to a public management approach that seeks greater transparency, citizen participation, and collaboration between the government and civil society.