Convention of 25 October 1980 on International Access to Justice

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What is it about?

The Convention of 25 October 1980 on International Access to Justice is intended to facilitate access to justice for any national or resident of a State Party to the Convention, in any other State Party in which judicial proceedings are to be or have been commenced. It aims at ensuring that the mere status of alien or the absence of residence or domicile in the State where judicial proceedings are to be or have been commenced are not grounds for discrimination in access to that State’s justice.

Why is it relevant?

The Access to Justice Convention grants to nationals of a Contracting State and to persons having their usual residence in a Contracting State the right of non-discrimination with respect to legal aid in civil and commercial proceedings including the provision of legal advice, security for costs, copies of decisions, physical detention and safe-conduct. The present Convention, along with the Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial matters and the Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters, covers all the main international aspects relating to cooperation in civil and commercial proceedings, as covered by the Convention of 1 March 1954 on Civil Procedure that they were intended to replace.

Additional Information

The Access to Justice Convention allows Contracting States to reserve the right to exclude the application of certain provisions of the Convention, subject to the conditions listed in Article 28.

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