Imagine you are a British citizen on board a cruise ship that is registered with a Panamanian flag. You are raped by someone who does not speak your language and lives in another country. You got on the ship in the UK; it is now in international waters but is heading for Italy. How do you get justice?
This is just one example from the thousands of cases we know of, where access to justice is all but impossible to obtain.
The law of the sea is complicated. The legal protection you have depends on the flag the ship sails under, whose territorial waters it is sailing on, and where it is going.
Because of this, accessing justice for human rights abuses at sea is uniquely difficult. Many people are unable to obtain it.
Our work is helping people access the justice they are entitled to.
We support individuals to secure access to justice.
We investigate allegations of abuse and hold perpetrators and States to account for their actions or failings.
We support victims of abuses to understand their rights and what to do when they are violated.
We use our platform to support victims of abuse and their families and make sure their voices are heard.
We develop innovative ways for victims to obtain justice.
Our Access to Justice programme promotes the rule of law at national and international levels and advocates for equal access to justice for people at sea.
