Decolonising Justice: A Scoping Review of Access to Justice in Least Developed Small Island States

The establishment of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) has placed an emphasis on access to justice, yet its meaning and application in least developed small island states (LDSIS) remains poorly understood. This article presents a scoping review of academic and grey literature on access to justice in LDSIS, with a particular focus on how justice is conceptualised, delivered and experienced in relation to SDG 16. A significant finding of the review is the shallow and fragmented nature of the existing literature: much of it comes from donor reports and multilateral organisations such as the United Nations, with limited in-depth, locally grounded research. This limits the field’s ability to engage critically with how justice is experienced on the ground. Although SDG 16 has elevated global attention to justice and the rule of law, the review finds a disconnect between international policy frameworks and the lived realities of justice in LDSIS in particular, with limited attention paid to informal justice systems. The article concludes by outlining key evidence gaps and proposing a research agenda that centres context, and everyday practices of justice in LDSIS.