Centre for Law & Transformative Change

05/06/2025

This World Environment Day, as global leaders gather in Jeju, South Korea to , we turn our attention to the women on the frontlines of this crisis.

In Karnataka, India, garment worker unions and organisers like Munnade Social Organisation are redefining what labour rights mean by linking fair work to clean air, safe water, and protection from toxic waste.

Environmental justice is labour justice.

Read how Centre for Law & Transformative Change's partner Munnade is leading transformative work across gender, labour, and environmental rights. https://cltc.law/stitching-change-labour-gender-and-the-environment/

12/03/2025

Justice must restore, not break.

The Centre for Law & Transformative Change (CLTC) has released its report, Gender-Responsive Sentencing Practices: Towards a Gender-Responsive Criminal Justice System in Cambodia, at a defining moment.

As we mark 15 years of the Bangkok Rules, we must ask: Have we built a justice system that truly understands women’s realities? Too often, women in conflict with the law face sentencing policies that punish rather than rehabilitate. This is not justice. Women deserve a system that recognises their struggles, upholds their dignity, and prioritises restoration over retribution.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, 'For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment' is a call for real change. A justice system that restores and empowers is possible but only if we listen. Only if we act.

🔗 Read the report:https://cltc.law/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Final-Briefing-Paper-Gender-Responsive-Sentencing-Practices.pdf

Thank you to Legal Aid of Cambodia, King & Wood Mallesons, and Pro Publico for their collaboration in this work.

25/02/2025

"Legal battles remain a privilege we simply cannot afford." - Yashodha, Founder of Munnade.
For millions in India, justice has long been out of reach - delayed, expensive, and inaccessible. With over 50 million cases pending in courts, marginalised communities, including Dalits, Adivasis, women, and informal workers, bear the brunt of systemic exclusion.

The Mediation Act 2023 marks a significant breakthrough in India’s legal landscape, embedding a community-driven, inclusive, and resolution-oriented approach to justice. By institutionalising mediation, ensuring trained mediators, and prioritising accessibility, the Act is reshaping how justice is delivered.

Read our latest blog post, featuring the voices of many excluded communities as they share their perspectives on justice and mediation: https://cltc.law/justice-within-reach-how-the-mediation-act-2023-is-transforming-legal-access-in-india/

10/04/2024

Universal Periodic Review Submission on Access to Justice in Cambodia
In our pursuit of placing local leadership at the heart of change and establishing people-centered justice systems, Centre for Law & Transformative Change has recently collaborated with leading civil society organizations to highlight the state of access to justice in Cambodia for the upcoming 4th UPR cycle.
In October 2023, CLTC and our Cambodian partners submitted the UPR report on Access to Justice for Cambodia's 4th cycle review. This collaborative effort by the 'Coalition for Access to Justice' aims to shed light on Cambodia's justice system and pave the way for positive change. For a comprehensive understanding of the UPR submission and the recommendations outlined, please consult the report.
Together, let's work towards a Cambodia where justice is truly accessible to all. For a detailed insight into the UPR submission and recommendations, consult the report: https://cltc.law/universal-periodic-submission-on-access-to-justice-in-cambodia/

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15/03/2024

Legal Ethics in Action: Defending Rights in Wartime Ukraine

Our recent in-person workshop in Kyiv on March 11, 2024, addressed the vital role of lawyers in ethical practice during conflict. The workshop was led by Centre for Law & Transformative Change (CLTC) co-founder Lionel Blackman and Gennadiy Tokarev, Attorney and Head of the Strategic Defence Centre of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group.

Miriam Chinnappa, CLTC's Executive Director, spoke on striving for a just, humane and fair criminal justice system, particularly crucial in wartime Ukraine. Mykola Sioma, Director of Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation, highlighted the pivotal role of Ukrainian lawyers as moral compasses in maintaining integrity of the legal system while building public trust.

In the workshop, lawyers shared valuable perspectives on navigating external pressures, public reprisals, and laws punishing "collaborators of the enemy". Ilyanda Oksana, a lawyer from Odesa shared invaluable insights on defending those accused of collaborating, emphasizing the need for understanding wartime survival amidst occupation and coercion faced by the accused—a perspective often overlooked in society.

16/02/2024

Sharing insights from our recent work in Cambodia at the Centre for Law & Transformative Change (CLTC). In our latest post, Kate Flower, International Legal Expert at CLTC highlights the importance of creating opportunities and space for strengthening local resource mobilization in pursuing people-centric justice in Cambodia.

Read more on: Driving change from within: Cambodia's Justice Network. https://cltc.law/latest/

ANU College of Law

31/01/2024

Happening Now in Phnom Penh, Cambodia!

The Centre for Law and Transformative Change (CLTC), in collaboration with the Australian National University (ANU), and 6 prominent Cambodian civil society organizations, is currently working together to advance the principles of people-centered justice deeply rooted in local leadership.

This initiative builds upon the impactful work initiated in February 2023, forging strategic partnerships with ADHOC, Legal Aid Cambodia (LAC), Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), Cambodia Human Rights Action Coalition (CHRAC), Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), and Open Development Cambodia (ODC) and ANU.

CLTC together with the Cambodian organizations and ANU are addressing the critical gap between rhetoric and action, particularly concerning localization, and its profound impact on resource mobilization. In the ongoing workshop, participants are actively sharing their knowledge and expertise, discussing indispensable tools, strategies, and capacities necessary to shape funding models and approaches in Cambodia.

Stay tuned for updates as we share invaluable insights and outcomes from this pivotal workshop, where justice isn't merely delivered but is actively shaped by the very communities it strives to serve, respond to, and empower.

For more information, reach out to CLTC’s International Legal Expert, Kate Flower, at [email protected]


CHRAC Human Rights ADHOC-Cambodia Community Legal Education Center Cambodian Human Rights Action Coalition Open Development Cambodia Legal Support for Children and Women - LSCW The Australian National University

10/12/2023

Over the past five days, weaving its way through villages throughout Cambodia has been a pilgrimage of truth. Its mission was to spread messages of dignity, freedom, equality and justice for all. Led by formidable civil society leaders, this journey has faced struggles and opposition. But in peace they triumphed. Civil society in Cambodia are operating under difficult circumstances. Yet they continue to come together in strength and unity, committed to a better tomorrow. We are humbled by their resilience and determination to lead change from within. ADHOC-CambodiaCommunity Legal Education CenterCHRAC Human Rights@Legal Aid Cambodia Labor Confederation សមាគមសម្ពន្ធនិស្សិតបញ្ញវន្តខ្មែរ - KSILA

24/10/2023

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making the 2023 PILnet conference an overwhelming success. It was an event filled with inspiration, connection, and invaluable insights. As we strive to improve lives through the transformative power of law, it's evident that collaboration is an immensely powerful tool. This was brilliantly demonstrated during the panel presentation on "Asia Pro Bono Consortium: A Model of Collaboration and Impact." The collective knowledge, experience, and passion shared by panellists made the session not only insightful but also incredibly enjoyable. It's a testament to the remarkable community that came together during the conference in Brussels.

11/10/2023

lawyers play a crucial role in ensuring 'no one is left behind' by providing effective access to justice and courts. Welcome, Welkom, Willkommen et Bienvenue to the 2023 in the heart of , . We look forward to an exciting lineup of speakers from all over the world and over 440 legal professionals participating in the conference. See you all here next week! Watch the welcome video of the host committee

This is "2023 PILnet Global Forum: Welcome From Host Committee" by PILnet on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

15/09/2023

Labour movements and labour unions are integral to the functioning of a healthy democracy. Today as the world marks International Democracy Day, the Centre for Law and Transformative Change and FEDINA stand in solidarity with women in the unorganised labour sector who are at the forefront of advocating for social and economic rights protection in India.