Key Findings:

• Refugees say they need better access to civil justice for cases involving interpersonal disputes, divorce, domestic violence, and polygamy, among other issues, and in dealing with challenges around birth and marriage registration. The lack of access to civil justice is experienced by refugees as connected to a web of interrelated problems around social issues, safety and security, and broader human rights violations.

• One-third of respondents said they had been able to obtain legal support and found that support satisfactory. This is a sign of the effectiveness of efforts already undertaken by NGOs and other stakeholders to strengthen refugees’ access to justice. But improvements and expansion of services are needed, as two-thirds of respondents said they were unable to access information, justice-related services, and expert help in the camps when needed, and many who did receive support and services found them inadequate to resolve problems.

• The lack of an adequate camp dispute resolution system and the absence of a national policy framework outlining the rights and responsibilities of refugees and displaced persons in Bangladesh are the two key lacuna impeding progress toward access to justice for Rohingya. Rohingya camp residents sheltering in Bangladesh face long-standing obstacles that prevent them from accessing civil justice in their host country.

• Camp residents frequently complain that the same actors responsible for upholding the rule of law are the perpetrators of corruption and other offenses. The need to overhaul the current ad hoc approach to camp governance, particularly the majhi system, is seen as a key step toward improved dispute resolution.