This guide is part of the Vance Center’s ongoing efforts to address mechanisms that expand access to justice, with the goal of fostering equality, citizen participation, and trust in the judicial system. The Vance Center has worked extensively with judges’ associations in Latin America and Africa to extend the application of such mechanisms. This memorandum, produced with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, provides examples and guidelines for judges and other legal practitioners, in these regions and across the globe, who are interested in incorporating easy-to-read practices into their opinions and procedures.
About this Guide
The use of language specific to the legal profession is not inclusive and often undermines effective access to justice. Practices such as the excessive use of legal jargon, undefined technical terms, Latin phrases, numerous references, and overly lengthy decisions can all hinder comprehension of judicial decisions among the people impacted by those decisions. These issues disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, such as children and disadvantaged individuals.
In response to this issue, the concept of easy-to-read or accessible judgments—judicial decisions that non-lawyers can readily understand—is gaining traction among judges and courts worldwide. This guide seeks to provide an overview of the different jurisdictions and courts that have started weaving easy-to-read practices into their opinions in a variety of ways.
The memorandum begins with a brief background section defining the concept of easy-to-read judgments, followed by a discussion of a few relevant international guidelines. The next section of provides a deep dive into selected countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and North America that are experimenting with publishing easy-to-read judgments, with the aim of offering practical examples and analysis for any jurists interested in the concept.
For ease of reference, an appendix includes a compilation of the guidelines mentioned in the memorandum as well as additional case examples, organized by country. Additionally, each of the cases analyzed in the county case studies are included in an exhibit (the “Judgments Exhibit”). These supplementary materials are available for download at the links below.
The guide is also available in Spanish.
Download supplementary materials (accessible with Acrobat Reader)
Appendix
Judgments Exhibit