ABSTRACT
The importance of legal empowerment in protracted refugee situations and its potential contributions to the realization of refugee rights, the protection of refugee dignity, and the resolution of these situations can best be understood by looking at its three manifestations, each of which is examined in detail in Chapter 4. First, this chapter examines the role that legal empowerment can play in enhancing the administration of justice for refugees, taking into consideration the pluralistic nature of justice in refugee situation and the multiple, overlapping legal regimes that apply to refugee camps. Second, it outlines the role that legal empowerment can play in enhancing accountability and governance within refugee situations, taking into consideration both the accountability of external authorities (host, state, UNHCR, etc.) and the accountability of actors within the refugee communities. Finally, this chapter examines the ways in which legal empowerment can contribute to fostering durable solutions for refugee situations, highlighting in particular the potential of legal empowerment to increase the capacity of refugees to participate effectively in transitional justice, repatriation, and reintegration, and as a facilitator of local integration.
