CIVIC FREEDOMS

While justice systems had a mixed track record in upholding civic space in 2022, the courts continued to be a vital forum where this space is protected. In the USA, lawsuits from racial justice groups resulted in security forces adopting positive policy changes on the policing of protests.

Civil society groups also frequently used strategic litigation to appeal to the justice system to push back against restrictive laws and demand recognition of their rights. In January 2022, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court handed down a ruling reaffirming Indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior and informed consent, creating what environmental group Amazon Frontlines said was ‘one of the most powerful legal precedents’ on the matter.

All of these positive changes resulted from the sustained efforts of rights advocates, which demonstrates the crucial role of civil society in serving as a check on excessive government control and a counter to repression.

Groups most commonly involved in civic space incidents