Global Transformations in Law, Justice, and Society: Comparative Perspectives on Governance, Rights, and Legal Reform

Abstract

This article examines the profound global transformations reshaping law, justice, and society in the early twenty-first century through a comparative analysis of governance structures, rights protection, and legal reform. Drawing on doctrinal, comparative, and socio-legal methods, the study demonstrates that contemporary legal change does not follow a universal model of liberal constitutionalism but instead reflects negotiated adaptations between global normative frameworks and local political, cultural, and institutional contexts. The findings reveal a structural shift from state-centered governance toward polycentric and digitally mediated regulatory systems, alongside the expanding yet contested influence of international human rights law. While constitutionalization and judicial empowerment have strengthened rights protection in some jurisdictions, significant gaps persist between formal legal recognition and substantive access to justice, particularly in developing and plural legal systems. The study further shows that legal reform often remains symbolic where institutional capacity, political will, and public participation are weak. At the normative level, the article highlights the limits of universalism and advances principled legal pluralism as a more sustainable framework for harmonizing global standards with local legitimacy. The article concludes that the future of law and justice depends not only on legislative modernization but on ethical governance, institutional integrity, and inclusive, context-sensitive implementation in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.