HiiL

08/01/2025

Breaking news from Ethiopia 📢The Ministry of Justice has launched a Community Justice Service Centre in Asayita City, Afar Region. It’s a key step in Ethiopia’s journey to deliver accessible, inclusive and participatory justice.

H.E. Dr. Ermias Yemaneberhan, State Minister of Justice, praised the centre as a model for integrating traditional and formal systems, fostering social cohesion, and supporting Afar’s rich conflict-resolution traditions.

Looking ahead, Ethiopia plans to expand community justice centres across the Afar region and beyond; building on the success of this model. HiiL is proud to support these initiatives, working alongside the Ministry of Justice to bring this vision to life.

🔎 Read more about this milestone: https://www.hiil.org/news/breaking-new-ground-in-ethiopia-community-justice-centre-launched-in-afar/

31/12/2024

As we say goodbye to 2024, we reflect on the progress made toward justice that truly serves people. But with every ending comes a new beginning, and 2025 is a fresh opportunity to push further, dream bigger, and work harder for people-centred justice.

Just like New Year’s resolutions, our intentions for the year ahead are clear:

🌍 Empower millions to prevent and resolve their most urgent justice problems.

📊 Listen and learn by gathering data and stories that reveal the real challenges people face.

🚀 Create solutions that are practical, innovative, and rooted in what works—solutions that rebuild lives and trust.

🤝 Strengthen partnerships, because justice isn’t something we can achieve alone. Governments, civil society, organisations, and communities must come together to unlock its full potential.

Let’s step into 2025 with purpose and determination. Together, we can build a world where everyone has the tools they need to resolve their justice problems.

What’s your resolution for a more just future?

20/12/2024

We are thrilled to announce that HiiL’s CEO, Sam Muller, has been honoured with the title of Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau, a distinguished Dutch royal honor. Presented by Mayor Leendert de Lange on December 12th, this prestigious recognition celebrates Sam’s outstanding contributions to justice, innovation, and peacebuilding.

The entire HiiL team extends heartfelt congratulations to Sam on this well-deserved recognition. His vision and leadership have inspired us all, and his legacy will continue to guide our work to ensure justice for everyone, everywhere.

We are excited to see how his legacy of people-centred justice programming will shape the future of justice systems. Congratulations, Sam 👏

🔗

CEO Sam Muller has been appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau - a Dutch royal honour conferred on persons who have rendered outstanding service to society.

02/12/2024

We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Innovating Justice Challenge, whose groundbreaking solutions not only serve communities but also align with the priorities of justice institutions to deliver people-centred justice.

🏆 First Place: Gwiji for Women (Kenya)
Gwiji for Women, the first-place winner, takes home the Innovating Justice Award and a cash prize of €20,000. Their solution tackles gender-based violence by providing survivors with legal advocacy, mental health support, and financial empowerment through gig work opportunities. Gwiji’s work directly contributes to justice institutions by addressing systemic barriers and supporting marginalized communities in accessing the justice they deserve.

🥈 Second Place: E-Tafakna (Tunisia)
In second place, E-Tafakna earned €10,000 for its innovative contract management platform. By simplifying complex legal procedures and digitizing processes, E-Tafakna enhances accessibility for individuals and businesses while contributing to the modernization efforts of justice systems across the region.

🥉 Third Place: RouteWatche (Nigeria)
Securing third place with a cash prize of €5,000, RouteWatche impressed with its real-time incident reporting platform. By providing valuable, crowdsourced data and AI-driven analytics, RouteWatche supports justice institutions and emergency services in improving responsiveness and ensuring public safety.

Congratulations to all the winners! Your solutions are not only transforming lives but also strengthening the ability of justice systems to serve communities better. HiiL is proud to support your journeys in making justice more accessible, affordable, and effective.

28/11/2024

Around the world, justice systems fail to meet women’s needs or deliver the outcomes they seek. Instead, women face inequality, discrimination, and exclusion at every step of their journeys to justice. This cannot continue.

Justice is a right—not a privilege. But funding for justice systems that work for women remains disproportionately low. This , we echo the call to action: invest in women by investing in .

💡 Why People-Centred Justice?

✔️ It centres the needs and journeys of people in the design of justice systems.
✔️ It addresses inequalities and creates fairer, more inclusive outcomes.
✔️ It mobilises innovative financing to fill the justice gap for women.

Justice systems designed for women can transform lives, empower survivors, and strengthen societies. It’s time to prioritise and this .

🟠 Let’s move women’s justice journeys from the margins to the centre and create a world where every woman, every person, can access the justice they deserve.

➡️

UN Women

26/11/2024

Around half of the world’s population lacks fair legal solutions, with women bearing the heaviest burden. These , we call for justice systems that serve everyone equitably.

UN Women says “Everyone has a role to play to end the abuse and killing of women. Governments can pass and enforce laws to protect women, while investing in prevention programs and support services for survivors. ”

⚖️ We believe in people-centred justice.

What can justice providers and leaders do now to advance equality and justice for women❓

1️⃣ Gather Data on women’s justice issues.
2️⃣ Develop innovative justice solutions, based on what works for women.
3️⃣ Establish an enabling regulatory and legal environment where innovation can thrive.
4️⃣ Invest in people-centred justice approaches to advance women’s access to justice globally.

Women's access to justice is crucial for peaceful, inclusive societies. There is , it’s time to . It’s time to ➡️ ➡️

UN Women United Nations Development Programme - UNDP UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency World Bank OECD

14/11/2024

on justice needs and experiences is essential for accurately diagnosing issues, designing effective solutions, and ensuring successful implementation.

The OECD ‘Recommendation on Access to Justice and People-Centered Justice Systems’ emphasizes the crucial role of data-driven decision-making in creating fair and accessible justice for all.

📊 By prioritising the collection and analysis of justice-related data, countries can gain valuable insights into the realities faced by individuals navigating the system. User-friendly platforms like the 🌐Justice Dashboard 🌐 provide accessible information that can guide stakeholders in developing targeted interventions. This commitment to evidence-based planning, monitoring, and evaluation ensures continuous improvement and accountability within our justice system.

On the HiiL Justice Dashboard, you can access from 18 different countries, with the most recent additions including:

🇹🇳 Tunisia: https://dashboard.hiil.org/data-by-country/tunisia-justice-needs-2023/
🇺🇬And Uganda: https://dashboard.hiil.org/data-by-country/uganda-justice-needs-2024/

By embracing this , participatory approach, we can create a justice system that not only responds to current needs but also evolves to meet future challenges, ensuring it remains equitable and effective for all.

Visit the Justice Dashboard: https://dashboard.hiil.org/

30/10/2024

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice is taking justice delivery at the community level forward, aligned with priorities identified in their three-year justice transformational plan.

As part of a broader ambition to build a more responsive justice system that works for people, two important milestones were achieved this week, alongside strategic alignment between Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice and HiiL:

✅The launch of Ethiopian Land Justice Guidelines
✅ Ethiopia’s first Community Justice Center

In partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice and Destiny Ethiopia, HiiL is committed to supporting a robust, people-centred justice system in Ethiopia, with a special focus on strengthening community justice.

07/08/2024

Discover the Employment Justice Platform in Tunisia 🇹🇳

In 2023, HiiL facilitated and supported a process between the Office of the Presidency, Ministry of Justice, Bar Association, and the General Directorate of Labour Inspection to address employment justice issues. This collaboration led to the creation of an innovative online platform that helps employees and employers understand and resolve disputes. The platform is based on recent data insights taken from our Justice Needs and Satisfaction survey. You can learn more about this on page 25 of our Annual Report ➡️ https://www.hiil.org/news/people-centred-justice-in-action/

We are working now to further develop and test this platform with the General Directorate of Labour Inspection, ensuring its successful integration into daily operations by the end of this year.

✅ Join our mission and follow the transformations to access to employment justice in Tunisia.

HiiL Innovation Hub MENA

19/06/2024

Uganda’s Bataka Courts, which HiiL has been supporting since 2019, are changing community-based justice. These courts are run by respected elders and use local languages, resolving civil cases in just 72 hours. They are making a big difference in places like Kakadi and Kyegegwa, improving lives and strengthening community cohesion.

Our Justice Accelerator and Business Resilience programmes have played an important role in making the Bataka Courts successful, keeping them accessible and efficient.

With continued support, we can expand this innovative model even further, making positive changes in people’s lives and communities. Join us in transforming access to justice in and creating lasting change.

Read our annual reports to learn more about our work in Uganda ➡️
https://www.hiil.org/news/people-centred-justice-in-action/ and connect with us.

- HiiL Uganda

12/06/2024

HiiL is a core partner in Ethiopia’s ambitious Three-Year Justice Sector Transformational Plan (2023-2025), which aims to make justice more affordable, accessible, and easy to understand. Our contributions include providing experienced knowledge, best practices, methodologies, and sustainable financing models.

One highlight is our collaboration with the FDRE Ministry of Justice/ የኢ.ፌ.ዲ.ሪ. ፍትሕ ሚኒስቴር and the Oromia Justice Sector Professionals Training and Legal Research Institute to scale up community justice platforms.

Based on the successful customary court model in Oromia, which resolves an average of 376,000 cases annually for 45 million people, we are assessing its effectiveness and potential for national implementation. You can learn more about this in our Annual Report (https://www.hiil.org/news/people-centred-justice-in-action/).

Support from donors and partners is crucial to expanding these impactful community justice services and ensuring they reach millions of more justice users across Ethiopia.

Together, we can make this vision a reality.

01/05/2024

Did you know that unresolved legal problems can significantly affect individuals' and communities' economic well-being?

According to the OECD, legal issues can cost individuals an average of one month’s wages. In Canada, households spend almost as much on resolving legal problems as their annual expenditure on food.

Addressing these legal challenges through effective justice solutions is crucial for economic stability and growth.

✅ The solution? People-centred justice .

Uncover the economic costs of injustice and how people-centred solutions can help in ‘Justice For All’, a paper written in partnership with with the OECD and Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies:

➡️https://bf889554-6857-4cfe-8d55-8770007b8841.filesusr.com/ugd/90b3d6_746fc8e4f9404abeb994928d3fe85c9e.pdf