Corruption is both a threat to the rule of law and an opportunity to reform rule of law institutions. It is a threat because corruption undermines the notion that no one is above the law and it is an opportunity because it can be tackled by well-functioning justice sector institutions. As corruption affects all sectors, successful ROL programming can similarly benefit all of USAID’s work.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, USAID implemented a Prosecutor Partnership Program that trained prosecutors to fight corruption and developed specialized tools to assist them. In Indonesia, USAID helped develop standardized sentencing guidelines, build capacity of institutions focused on corruption, and saw convictions of national and local politicians, which was previously almost unheard of. USAID also assisted many countries like Colombia and Mexico, with their transition from an inquisitorial justice system to an accusatorial system including the development of new criminal procedure codes; retraining judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys; and conducting awareness-raising activities to familiarize citizens to the new system.
Full report can be found at: Rule of Law Achievements Review
