Follow-up activities on Rule of Law and Judiciary Sector Reform Project
In response to Burma’s prolonged political crisis and the erosion of judicial independence, IPSJ initiated a six-month policy research program in late 2024 focusing on the Rule of Law and Judicial Sector Reform.
The program engaged two Principal Researchers, and ten Co-Researchers, organized into two thematic research teams. The objective was to generate rigorous, policy-relevant analysis that could inform national and international advocacy efforts, particularly in relation to federalism, judicial independence, and post-conflict governance.
As the principal outputs of this activity, IPSJ produced the following two research publications:
(a). Obstacles to Establishing Security, Freedom, and the Rule of Law on Myanmar’s Path to Federalism: Research Design, Methodology, and Results
Lead Author: Dr. Su Yin Htun
(b). Judicial Sector Reform toward Judicial Independence in Post-Conflict Myanmar: Research Design, Methodology, and Results
Lead Author: Nan Kham Mai (LL.B. LL.M, LL. D)
Peer Review and Policy Engagement
An external online peer review and consultation session was conducted with approximately 40 participants, including legal scholars, human rights CSOs, justice-sector actors from Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs), CDM-affiliated professionals, and representatives linked to the Ministries of Justice and Human Rights. This process strengthened the analytical rigor, policy relevance, and coordination among formal and informal justice-sector stakeholders.
Bilingual Research Publications
Following external academic review, IPSJ finalized and published two research books in both English and Burmese, printing 500 copies of each title (1,000 copies in total). This bilingual publication and dissemination strategy ensured accessibility for local legal professionals, civil society actors, and activists within Myanmar and border areas, as well as international policymakers, diplomats, and human rights mechanisms. The publications were disseminated to key stakeholders, including the National Unity Government (NUG), National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), relevant UN Special Rapporteurs, and international human rights organizations, as part of IPSJ’s broader evidence-based advocacy efforts. The publications provide structured analytical frameworks, terminology, and policy recommendations that support informed advocacy for judicial independence and rule-of-law–based federal governance.
On December 10, 2025, to coincide with International Human Rights Day, IPSJ distributed large volumes of the two finalized research publications to civil society organization (CSO) leaders and representatives of political and ethnic organizations during a commemorative public event held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Overall Outcome The activity enhanced IPSJ’s institutional capacity to contribute evidence-based policy inputs, strengthened justice-sector collaboration, and supported coordinated human rights monitoring and reform advocacy in Myanmar’s conflict-affected and transitional.
