National human rights institutions and popular legitimacy: Case studies from three NHRIs

Popular legitimacy and credibility are important preconditions for the success of NHRIs, not least when it comes to complaints-handling, conflict resolution, consultations with civil society and broader awareness-raising and educational activities.

Based on empirical case studies of three different NHRIs, this research project explores the dynamics of NHRI legitimacy and credibility, analysing e.g. their consultations with civil society, popular perceptions of their work and internal processes of legitimation, seeking to identify some of the various factors that may influence these dynamics.

This research project analyses NHRI consultations with civil society, popular perceptions of their work and internal processes of legitimation.