Access to justice as a fundamental right and the construction of democracy by means of alternative ways to solve conflicts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/2178-8189.2009v13n0p47Keywords:
Access to the justice, Fundamental law, Democracy, Alternative ways to solve conflicts.Abstract
The article intends to demonstrate that access to justice is a fundamental constitutional principle, by analysing principles and rules, as well as the fact that it is in the core of the fundamental rights in the Constitution. It is also highlighted that, inside the “focus on access to justice”, lies the option of private mechanisms to solve disputes, and that such facilities comply with the objective of access to a fair legal system outside the courts. Accordingly, this paper intends to demonstrate that access to justice is a means to exercise citizenship and that the alternative mechanisms are democratic ways to accomplish this principle.