AHRC team joins Rule of Law Forum; Amal Clooney notes ongoing collaboration and new Access-to-Justice initiative

The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) staff and interns joined the Rule of Law Forum held on 14 November 2025, at the University of the Philippines Professional Schools Auditorium in Bonifacio Global City. 

AHRC Executive Director Atty Nicolene Arcaina served as a panelist in the plenary session “Enduring Challenges to the Protection of Civil Liberties,” alongside former Supreme Court spokesperson Atty Theodore Te. The forum brought together legal practitioners, academics, and policy experts to discuss continuing issues affecting civil liberties in the Philippines.

A keynote session featuring international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, moderated by Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, highlighted the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s efforts to support victims of human rights violations, including journalists. Clooney noted ongoing work in the Philippines through a trial monitoring initiative involving AHRC interns and Ateneo Law students in partnership with the Columbia University Human Rights Institute.

^{Video via Rappler (YouTube)}

In a subsequent event at Rappler’s Social Good Summit on 16 November, Clooney announced that she will lead a Philippine initiative aimed at giving Filipino women and journalists easier access to legal assistance, using AI-powered tools developed by the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice.

During her remarks, Clooney shared that she had recently held discussions with the deans of Ateneo Law School and the University of the Philippines College of Law regarding a possible partnership with the Oxford Institute. She described the initiative’s goal of improving access to justice by connecting individuals to expert-vetted legal information, generating legal documents more efficiently, and matching those in need with pre-vetted pro bono lawyers.