A Guide to Litigating Identity Systems 8. Activists and civil society organisations around the globe have been engaging with and critiquing these systems as they emerge. Sometimes, these have reached court to challenge the constitutionality of these systems and how they interfere with human rights, including privacy. In the last few years, civil society organisations from diverse disciplines and regions across the world have played key roles in these cases. 9. It is thanks to their tireless efforts that this guide exists, and we are honoured to have had the opportunity to give recognition and respect to the ground breaking work they have each undertaken to protect people and their dignity. 10. Privacy International has partnered with the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School to guide the reader through a simple presentation of the legal arguments explored by national courts around the world who have been tasked with discussing the negative implications of identity systems, particularly on human rights, and to present their judgment. 11. This initiative is part of our efforts, with our global partners, to ensure civil society and legal experts have access to the financial and technical resources they need to challenge these systems. This may include challenging the underlying assumptions behind identity systems, the global ecosystem pushing for their introduction, or demanding the necessary safeguards for privacy and other rights around identification systems, including scrutiny of the socio-economic, political, and legal state of deployment. 12. For too long, civil society organisations have been excluded from the development of identity systems, with their contribution limited to ‘stakeholder engagement’ sessions long after the important decisions have already been made. The expertise of these organisations has been downplayed, and the international debate dominated by players including governments, development banks, funding institutions, and managementconsultant firms. The cases outlined in this guide prove that the knowledge and expertise of civil society organisations is huge: not only the impact of these systems on the people with which they work, but also the technical, 7