For Rana Bahu, the law is not simply about legislation, courtrooms or legal procedures, it is about people and the difference that justice can make in their lives.

She believes that rights only have real meaning when people understand them, can access them and are able to exercise them in practice.

A Palestinian lawyer and mother of three, Rana has spent more than 25 years working in the legal and justice sector. She holds a master’s degree in law and has built her career around legal and institutional development, access to justice and supporting women.

“I like helping people and community work,” she says.

Her journey into law began with her studies in Jordan in the 1990s. She later worked as a legal researcher at Birzeit University, where she developed her skills in legal research and analysis.

Her career then took her to an EU-funded initiative supporting greater access to Justice and legal aid, giving her a closer understanding of the challenges people face when seeking justice.

She also undertook legal training in various EU countries, experiences that broadened her understanding of European legal systems and institutions.

For the past 11 years, Rana has been part of EUPOL COPPS, where she serves as a Legal Adviser in the Justice Unit. Her work spans a broad range of areas, including courts, legislation and law-making processes, legislative harmonisation, and engagement with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.

As the Unit’s gender focal point and its only female lawyer, she brings both her legal expertise and a strong commitment to advancing the role and participation of women in the justice sector.

What motivates her is a simple belief: justice should be meaningful and accessible to everyone.

“The right to justice is a genuine right,” she says.

For Rana, a strong justice system is not measured only by the quality of its laws or institutions, but by the difference it makes in people’s lives.

 She hopes to see a Palestinian justice sector that continues to strengthen its effectiveness, build on well-structured institutions, and advance sound governance.

Throughout her professional journey, Rana’s commitment has remained firmly focused on people. She believes that strong laws and effective institutions are not ends in themselves, but tools that can make a real difference in people’s lives helping them understand their rights, access justice and have confidence in the systems designed to protect them.

For Rana, connecting legal and institutional work with people’s everyday realities is what gives her work its meaning and continues to drive her commitment to strengthening the justice sector.

“I do believe that justice is not just about having rights written down. It’s about ensuring that people can truly access and utilise them.”