As a final-year law student at the University of Colombo, Asindu Munasinghe never imagined a single programme could change his views on the legal profession. Despite his strong grasp of legal theory, the practical side of the profession felt remote until he signed up for his first legal aid camp.Asindu’s passion for justice grew from a young age after witnessing his father’s numerous land disputes. “I saw firsthand the struggles ordinary people faced within the legal system. When I heard about the legal aid camps, I realised this was my chance to do something meaningful,” Asindu recalls.   In an effort to promote legal awareness and access to justice, the University of Colombo Law Faculty, in collaboration with partners, organised multiple legal aid camps across the country.  The initiative was part of the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE), a multi-year programme initiated in 2022, which aims to build a more efficient, inclusive and accountable justice sector. Funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by UNDP and UNICEF Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, JURE brings together stakeholders across state institutions, independent commissions, academic institutions and civil society to drive a national effort in justice sector reform. The legal aid initiative seamlessly integrates two key objectives of the JURE programme: improving access to justice for marginalised communities while providing law undergraduates with hands-on legal experience.In recognition of the increased strain on Sri Lanka's legal aid system due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis, the initiative offers an innovative approach that expands and inculcates pro bono service provision while fostering partnerships between civil society, law students, and the private sector to ensure access to justice for vulnerable communities.    Going beyond the classroomThe legal aid camps were organised under the University’s Legal Aid Unit in partnership with JURE and the Legal Aid Commission. They aimed to provide disadvantaged groups with access to justice while equipping law students with much-needed practical exposure. Between 2023 and 2024, 14 legal aid camps were held across 8 districts. These camps provided essential legal support to more than 4,600 individuals struggling with longstanding justice barriers, including land disputes, domestic violence, and labour rights violations. With 925 law students and about 35 pro bono lawyers guiding vulnerable communities through a complex legal system, these camps became a lifeline. Specialised clinics were held for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, the LGBTIQA+ community, fishing communities, and Free Trade Zone workers, among other targeted outreach initiatives. These clinics ensured those with unique legal challenges had access to the support they needed.   For law undergraduates like Asindu, this was a rare opportunity to put their skills into practice, gaining invaluable experience in client interaction while deepening their understanding of client sensitivity, ethics, and the role of community engagement in the legal profession.Asindu quickly became deeply involved and took a leading role in organising the legal camps with his peers. This entailed identifying geographic areas in need, securing the support of the Bar Association lawyers, collaborating with the Legal Aid Commission for case handling, and engaging government stakeholders to ensure continued assistance and support. Before each camp, the university students would undergo triage training, learning how to assess cases, maintain confidentiality, and interact sensitively with vulnerable clients. “The first thing I learned was that legal knowledge alone is not enough. Many people who come to us have already been let down by the system. They are frustrated, tired, and often desperate. Our job is not just to advise them but to support them with empathy,” Asindu explained.At legal aid camps, a triage system directs civil cases to lawyers, while law students assist with consultations, case debriefs, and legal documentation, with complicated cases escalated for further legal action and guidance.One of the most impactful moments for Asindu came during a camp held in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, where a woman, clearly in distress, was reluctant to approach the lawyers with her complaint. As Asindu and his peers quietly reassured her and made her feel more at ease, she finally revealed that she had been sexually harassed by a senior officer at her workplace and coerced into signing a legal agreement. With the help of the criminal lawyer she met at the camp, the officer was subsequently demoted and transferred, and she was reassigned to a safer environment.“Through this experience, I’ve realised that being a lawyer is much more than winning cases - we have to stand with those who have no voice and help them feel heard,” Asindu reflects.    Restoring faith in the justice sector
 The legal aid camps had an immediate impact on the thousands who attended. Through the collaboration of legal professionals and community members, the camps helped create a network of support while empowering beneficiaries with legal knowledge to protect themselves and seek redress. Many, like a programme beneficiary from Kandy, made determined efforts to seek legal assistance. “I skipped lunch to participate in this clinic after hearing about it at my local temple. I am very upset over a property issue, and I can’t afford to pay for legal advice while also caring for my sick family member. Programmes like these are very valuable,” a participant shared.The initiative has significantly increased awareness of legal rights, enhanced access to legal services and promoted improved trust in the justice sector, especially for those who had given up hope. The camps were a critical resource in empowering communities to protect themselves, challenge misinformation, comprehend legal processes, and gain access to mediation. Recognising that many beneficiaries were daily wage earners unable to afford legal assistance, this intervention directly addressed pressing legal aid needs, ensuring that vulnerable individuals can make informed decisions about their cases.    Creating a new generation of lawyersThe initiative also had a profound impact on the students themselves. Witnessing the struggles faced by vulnerable communities, Asindu and his peers have committed to working one day of every month pro bono to provide legal aid services to deserving clients. For Asindu, the experience has strengthened his commitment to working in an ethical and empathetic manner. “I am determined that in my career, I will never earn a rupee the wrong way. Where I charge for my services, I will give my clients the best possible support. And where I can serve for free, I will—because justice should never be a privilege,” he says.As Asindu prepares to graduate, he recognises that his legal journey will go beyond building a career. He is determined to continue to be part of this movement to ensure justice for those who need it most. 

The waters surrounding Trincomalee are well-stocked with ocean life. This area is a boon to those involved in the fisheries industry, giving rise to the Kalaimahal Fisheries Cooperative Society. This society worked towards the welfare of the fishermen in the area, until the civil conflict began on the island with far-reaching negative impacts on the lives of the fishermen and many others.    The President of the Kalaimahal Fisheries Cooperative Society, Senthilnathan Ponnathorai, can attest to this experience. 45-year-old Senthilnathan resides in Alas Garden, Trincomalee, with his wife and four children. Established in 2003, the Kalaimahal Fisheries Cooperative Society has 43 members and 18 boats. During the conflict, most of the society members went to India in 2006; they returned to the island in 2009 and resettled. Once resettled in Sri Lanka, the members reorganised the society in 2011.   Speaking on their struggles during the conflict, Senthilnathan said, "We had to obtain a pass from the Sri Lanka Navy each time we went out to sea. Our minds were never at ease as the situation within the country was difficult and tumultuous."Even though Sri Lanka was our motherland, we felt as if we were living on rent in our own country”.Even though Sri Lanka was our motherland, we felt as if we were living on rent in our own country”, said Senthilnathan Ponnathora   Catching A Break
With the support of two projects, Kalaimahal Fisheries Cooperative Society has been able to bear the weather.UNDP Sri Lanka's flagship portfolio on SDG16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE) and other partners, supports the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugee returnees across Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts, providing them with durable resettlement opportunities including access to essential basic services, sustainable livelihoods and income generation opportunities.   The Support for Durable Resettlement (SDR) project has also helped many, similar to Senthilnathan, to re-establish their lives in the aftermath of the civil conflict. Intending to bring societal peace, the SDR project supports the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugee returnees, providing them with durable resettlement opportunities including access to essential basic services, sustainable livelihoods and income generation opportunities.The SDR project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sri Lanka together with the Government of Sri Lanka with funding from the Sri Lanka SDG Fund, which is funded by Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada across the Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts.

“I feel like I’ve been given a second chance. Coming back home gave me a new life.”That’s how Kajan*, a 17-year-old from Kilinochchi, described the moment he returned home after nearly 18 days in a Remand Home, an institution where child suspects are detained. He hadn’t been convicted. In fact, he’d only been charged with an offence that was bailable. But like many other children in conflict with the law, he was sent away, institutionalized, cut off from family, friends, school, and a future that once looked promising.For years, institutionalization has been the go-to solution in response to children who are in conflict with the law. Local social work and judicial sectors, overwhelmed and cautious, often chose remand homes over community-based rehabilitation. The idea seemed safer; keep the child contained, under watch, until the legal dust settles. However, these decisions end up disrupting young lives.   This practice is gradually changing: The support extended by UNICEF via European-Union-funded ‘Support to Justice Sector’ (JURE) project, is now encouraging probation officers and judicial officials to reflect on their common responses to cases involving children. At the heart of this shift are the judicial colloquiums, where judges and probation officers gather to discuss concerns and ways to improve child-friendly justice. In these forums, one question is repeatedly posed: Is this truly in the best interests of the child?In Kajan’s case, it was not.Kajan remembers the cold isolation of his room at the remand home. “I stayed inside most of the time. Meals were served there. I couldn’t move around freely. I missed the warmth of home,” he said quietly. The few hours of sewing class or outdoor play offered only brief distractions. Most of the day, he was alone. His voice catches when he recalls the hopelessness, “I couldn’t go to school. I missed zonal volleyball competitions. I had dreams of becoming a volleyball coach, but I missed out on it. I felt like everything was taken from me.”The sense of abandonment wasn’t his alone.   Back home, his parents barely had a meal, anxious about Kajan’s future. “It was so painful when he wasn’t around. I couldn’t even cook. Every day I kept thinking about how I could help my child return home,” his mother says.The tide began to turn when Mr. Kangesamoorthi Manivannan, a senior probation officer in Northern province Probation Department stepped in, following a judicial colloquium in Northern province held with support from JURE.“Afterwards, I visited the institution,” he said. “Upon speaking with the boy and his parents, I submitted a report to the court. I recommended that he be supported in the community and reintegrated into society. The Honorable Magistrate agreed, and Kajan was released under probation supervision.”Mr. Manivannan has seen this too many times before – children who have committed offences, even minor ones, sent away into institutions. “One of the disadvantages of institutionalization,” he explains, “is that these children get labeled. But eventually, they have to return to society. If that return is full of shame and stigma, what future are we giving them?”Instead, he argues, “Rehabilitation must happen within the community, within families. That’s where children belong. Institutionalization should be the last resort, and for the shortest possible time.”   The EU-funded judicial colloquiums implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute and the National Department of Probation and Child Care Services have helped judicial officers pause and reflect. The result has been a growing wave of understanding that every child is a work in progress, not a file to be locked away.Today, Kajan is catching up on missed schoolwork. His timely release via Mr. Manivannan’s interventions ensured he was able to sit for his GCE Ordinary Level exams. He has even started dreaming again. Kajan says maybe he’ll become an Air Conditioner technician, develop in his craft and work abroad. His confidence is cautious, but it’s there.He smiles when talking about his friends. “Here, at home, I can go out, talk and play. There, I had to do everything by myself, and it was very lonely. Life here is much better.”His journey is far from over. There are still stares and whispers. But there is also laughter again, meals with family, and plans for the future.“I’m thinking of taking a course,” he says. “Once I get the certificate I can get a job. I just want to move forward.”JURE, funded by the European Union, is jointly implemented by UNICEF and UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. It aims to strengthen the justice system to be more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. UNICEF leads efforts to enhance child-friendly justice and child protection processes, ensuring better protection and support for children within the legal system.The impact of JURE isn’t just seen in courtrooms, it’s seen in small village homes like Kajan’s, where a family has reunited with their child and a boy learns that he still has far to go in life.It’s seen in probation officers walking a quiet path with a child, choosing trust over confinement and careful supervision over separation.It’s heard in the words of a child who once sat alone in a locked room and now says, simply, “This is where I belong.” It’s echoed in the principle that now guides more and more judicial minds: home is the first option, not the last.

For decades, Arundhavamalar’s life was defined by displacement. Born in 1980 in a small village in Palaly, she grew up in a close-knit community of around 30 families. Her father was a fisherman, and her mother a homemaker. Life was simple but full of joy, surrounded by her eight siblings and friends from school. However, the civil war disrupted that peaceful life, forcing her family to leave everything behind. On August 13, 1990, as violence escalated, her family—like so many others—was forced to flee their home, seeking refuge at the Palavy welfare center in Point Pedro. This was only the beginning of years of uncertainty and hardship. “We tried to return home after the 2004 tsunami, hoping to rebuild,” she recalls. “But the conflict resumed, and we were displaced again in 2005.” From there, she and her family moved from one temporary refuge to another—Vanni, Valajarmadam, Mathalan—before finally reaching Jaffna in 2009 by boat. There, they lived in the Allarai Internally Displaced Persons site in Chavachcheri. Eventually, their journey took them back to Polikandy, where they struggled to rebuild a life from scratch.    A New Beginning Throughout these years of displacement, Arundhavamalar’s survival depended on the kindness of relatives and the few opportunities available. Her elder brother’s business provided some stability, but Arundhavamalar’s biggest concern remained her children’s education and well-being. Through the Expanded Support for Durable Resettlement and Reintegration (EDRR) project, she received assistance in rebuilding her life. Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka, the initiative helps resettled communities build sustainable livelihoods and reintegrate into society.   Funded by the UN Sri Lanka SDG Fund—with contributions from Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Joint SDG Fund and the UN Peacebuilding Fund—the project builds on the personal investments of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees to support their resettlement. “Having a house of my own brings immense happiness,” Arundhavamalar says. “While we were displaced, if the owner of a house we were staying in asked us to leave, we had no choice but to move. Today, no one can ask us to leave. My family and I feel content and safe now.”  Rebuilding Livelihoods, Restoring Dignity Beyond providing shelter, the UN-supported project also aids in restoring livelihoods. Through a civil society organization supported by the UN, Arundhavamalar received fishing nets, enabling her to start a dried fish business. The income she earns helps her care for her mother and support her son. She has also shared some of the fishing nets with her younger brother, ensuring that he too can earn a living. “Today, I can support my children and take care of my mother in peace in our own home,” she says with pride. “This is something I never imagined during the years we spent moving from place to place.”    Hope for the Future Arundhavamalar’s story is one of resilience, strength, and the power of community support. While she has found stability, she knows that many others like her are still struggling to return home and rebuild their lives. “I sincerely hope that other people like me, who were displaced and affected by the war, will also be able to receive land and support to rebuild their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives.” Her journey, from displacement to homecoming, is a testament to the impact of collective efforts to support durable resettlement and reintegration, and to build a future where no one is left behind.