Africa Regional Justice Note : A Review and Lessons Learned

The note is designed to assist Bank task teams, working together with their country counterparts, who may have varying levels of experience with promoting the Rule of Law (ROL); some would be familiar with the African context but not ROL, and for others, vice-versa. This note may also represent a first introduction to ROL reform; for those who have worked on such projects in the past, it should supplement existing knowledge about this emerging field. Specifically, this note aims to equip Bank staff to promote, design, conduct, and oversee projects and analytical work related to ROL reform by: providing an introduction to the ROL movement and the purpose of ROL work in the broader context of development; placing the Bank's work on the rule of law in Africa in a historical context, both in terms of Africa's recent history and the Bank's evolving priorities; presenting 'lessons learned' from past and ongoing rule of law reform efforts and providing specific guidance for embarking on new or supervising existing projects, particularly in conflict-affected and fragile situations; and highlighting rule of law projects that are noteworthy because of a particular focus or approach.