The rapid development of China's legal system since the early 1980s has been uneven, with resources, financial and human, concentrated in urban areas. The lack of awareness of rights and entitlements, as well as the cost of bringing cases and hiring lawyers, block many of the poorest households from the legal system. The Rights Practice is working with local partners to address unequal access to justice for China's poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

The Rights Practice supports strategic litigation aimed at exposing gaps in existing legislation and systemic problems in implementation. Together with local partners, The Rights Practice explores ways it can be used to assist vulnerable populations, such as people living with disabilities, the elderly, and rural women and children. In support of the Millennium Development Goals, our focus is on realising the right to health among the rural population and those living with any form of disability.

In collaboration with the Public Interest and Development Law Institute (PIDLI) at Wuhan University School of Law and the Centre for Integrated Agricultural Development (CIAD) at China Agricultural University, this project provides citizens with access to relevant, effective and affordable independent legal advice and services in all rural counties of Hubei province. This experience will inform the development of a national strategy for the provision of legal services for the rural poor. The project builds on existing initiatives that provide legal aid through legal aid offices or non-governmental law centres and looks at how these services can be extended through training, networking, capacity building and efficiency savings.

This project is being funded by DFID's Civil Society Challenge Fund.

In cooperation with PIDLI we are carrying out a scoping study into the challenges and obstacles that face the rural disabled population in realising their rights.

This project is being funded by the Big Lottery Fund.