Reimagining the Delivery of Human Rights Information

Viraaj Akuthota

Summary
Without reimagining legal service delivery, systemic issues and restricted access perpetuate human rights violations. This talk explores how technology, focusing on police discrimination, refugee applications, Human-centered design, and legal prediction, can drive this crucial shift.
Lightning Talk
English
Conference

As human rights violations increase, non-profit legal service funding declines, and public tech for marginalized groups lags. Legal access, crucial in this scenario, is hindered by paywalls, complexity, and affects those with literacy, financial, and physical challenges. Consequently, these populations increasingly rely on overwhelmed human rights services.

The talk will explore how technology can bridge these gaps. It highlights practical tech solutions like automated form-filling and advanced tools such as multi-label classification and semantic searches, designed to empower clients and reduce the strain on service providers.

Focusing on three areas - police discrimination in warrantless searches, refugee application processes, and human rights violation assessments, while also delving into practical issues like translation, adversarial client interactions, and time. The session will demonstrate how these technological interventions are key in democratizing access to justice. It aims to showcase the transformative potential of technology in providing equitable legal support and empowering those most affected by these challenges.