Meaningful Access to Information as a Critical Element of the Rule of Law: How Law Libraries and Public Libraries Can Work Together to Promote Access

Abstract

Most international governmental and non-governmental organizations agree that the access to information—and notably access to legal information—is critical to enhancing and promoting the rule of law. Meaningful access to legal information has also been held out as a fundamental right, even declared by some as an international human right. While law libraries are designed to help citizens access legal information, in many societies, especially in developing states, public libraries may be better suited to promote citizens’ access to legal information for a variety of reasons. Public libraries can help uphold and promote the rule of law by providing this access to legal information through outreach programs, partnerships with law library counterparts, and by using other tools to train staff and create physical and digital collections to enhance access.