Across the world, detainees are denied a lawyer. This woman is working to change that

In some countries, many detainees lack access to a defence attorney, says human rights lawyer Karen Tse. This leaves them open to being beaten and tortured, held without trial or simply lost in the system. With no one to defend them, many of those imprisoned can languish for years for the smallest crime - or even for no crime at all. Tse is the founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice, an NGO that works to guarantee for all citizens proper legal representation, the right to a fair trial, and freedom from torture. In 25 years, the organization has helped to train 48,000 defence lawyers, who have collectively handled more than half a million cases worldwide. Karen Tse is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Civil Society, a group of leaders from a wide range of fields who come together with government and business actors to find solutions to global challenges.