Time, Space and Information: Lessons Learned from the Abuse of Law to Attack Civic Space

Governments around the world are increasingly using legal and institutional tools to silence critics and weaken democratic safeguards. This report explores how such tactics—ranging from media capture and obstructive regulations to manipulation of funding—systematically close civic space and undermine the actors that hold power to account. When civil society organizations and independent media are constrained, the vital connections between citizens and democratic institutions erode, leaving societies more vulnerable to disinformation, manipulation and entrenched rule.

Drawing on comparative case studies and expert insights from International IDEA and the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, the report exposes the mechanics of democratic backsliding and identifies strategies for building resilience. It argues that defending civic space requires more than reactive measures: it demands institutional design that protects time, space and information from executive overreach.