What is strategic litigation?

Strategic litigation is a method that can bring significant changes in the law, practice or public awareness via taking carefully-selected cases to court. With strategic cases, although the initial step is seeking to clarify an individual complaint before the court, in addition to clarifying the individual case the aim is to obtain justice for a whole group which might potentially find itself in a similar or comparable situation. Furthermore, strategic litigation is a legal tool for bringing social, legal and political change by using an individual case of human rights violation. In other words, the aim is to create legal precedents.
Through conduction of a strategic litigation it is aimed to:
• Create progressive jurisprudence which advances human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Instigate reform of national laws which do not comply with international human rights law
• Ensure that laws are interpreted and enforced properly
• Document human rights violations by the judiciary.
As a result of strategic litigation the following outcomes might be achieved:
• Develop civil society and mobilize communities
• Develop democratic values and the Rule of Law
• Develop legal culture.