HiiL

03/09/2026

Why does access to justice still remain unattainable for so many people, and what is the role of people-centred justice in improving accessibility?

Recently, Zainab Malik, our Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, sat down with Just Peace, to discuss what it takes to make justice more accessible. She highlights the importance of finding solutions that actually work for people. Rather than courts designating a winner and a loser, people often want more amicable solutions to their problems. When justice responds to what people actually need, it can build greater trust and satisfaction and contribute to stability.

Want to know more about accessible justice and how people-centred justice works? Read the full article: https://www.justpeacethehague.org/en/story/recht-met-of-zonder-rechtvaardigheid-hoe-hiil-de-wereldwijde-kloof-in-toegang-tot-het-recht-verkleint

01/09/2026

Justice can not work in isolation.

Last week, partners from government, civil society, development and philanthropy came together for HiiL’s People-Centred Justice Partnership Forum in Nigeria to ask a practical question: how do we build justice systems that can respond to people’s needs and keep doing so as society changes?

Under the theme “Justice as Infrastructure for a Resilient Society,” the conversation focused on the partnerships, approaches and investments needed to make justice more accessible. Because we need justice infrastructure. It shapes whether people can resolve disputes, protect their rights, build businesses and navigate times of uncertainty.

The forum brought together different perspectives on what this can look like in practice: from strategic discussions with partners to our Justice Needs Booth Tour, where participants engaged directly with evidence on the legal problems people in Nigeria experience. A valuable day of exchange, new ideas and honest conversations about where we go next. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

31/08/2026

A new chapter in our partnership with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

HiiL is launching Justice for a Safer, Stronger Future, a new five-year strategic partnership to advance people-centred justice across eight countries: Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Syria and Lebanon.

Building on more than a decade of collaboration, the partnership will focus on making justice services more accessible, effective and responsive to people’s everyday needs, while sharing what works and scaling solutions beyond individual programmes. As Udo Jude Ilo, HiiL’s CEO, puts it: “We are doubling down on a simple ambition: to make justice work for people.”

Read the full story: https://hiil.org/news/hiil-and-the-dutch-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-launch-new-strategic-partnership-to-advance-people-centred-justice/

19/08/2026

“When the rule of law works, we barely notice it.”

But what happens when it begins to weaken, or comes under attack?

This was the question at the heart of the keynote address delivered by Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, at Justice Matters this May. As public servant and global leader, Amina J. Mohammed has spent much of her career working at the intersection of sustainable development, governance and international cooperation. She played a central role in shaping the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, including the commitment under SDG 16 to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Her keynote brought that experience to a question that affects all of us. The rule of law can feel abstract when it is functioning well. Its importance becomes much clearer when institutions are weakened, rights become harder to protect, and people can no longer rely on justice systems to work for them.

At HiiL, we believe this is also why justice must be understood through people’s everyday experiences. Watch the full keynote:

Keynote 2: “When rule of law functions well, it provides a sense of...

18/08/2026

How do we actually close the child justice data gap? It is all about collecting better, more inclusive data.

Our new policy brief with the Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures outlines the path forward through three essential methodological shifts, as seen below, or read the article:
https://www.hiil.org/news/the-child-justice-data-gap/

12/08/2026

“Today, what we aspire to is to begin a dialogue”

This is what His Excellency Dr Mazhar Al-Wais, Minister of Justice of Syria, said about the need for cooperation in re-establishing Syria’s Justice System. Syria is committed to improving its justice infrastructure and making it more accessible and people-centred. HiiL is proud to play a role in this process and looks forward to continued cooperation. We invite you to watch the interview and reflect on the differencepeople-centred justice can make: https://youtu.be/7WsmKkxW050?si=Nfy_oGu9URJQ3o3Q.

In this interview from the Justice Matters Conference, His Excellen...

11/08/2026

Children make up 30% of the world population, but are virtually invisible in justice data.

Why? Traditionally, Legal Needs Surveys are designed for adults, creating massive blind spots regarding children. This is because of the assumption that the ‘household head’ can speak for the child’s experience.
Data shouldn’t be an assumption. In HiiL’s 2020 survey, 26% of adults reported that the resolution secured a safe outcome. Without asking the children themselves, we are missing a full picture.

It’s time for a methodological shift. HiiL and the Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures have co-authored a new policy brief on closing the child justice data gap through child-centred methodologies.

Read the full brief here:

HiiL (The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law) is a civil society organisation committed to people-centred justice. That means justice that is affordable, accessible and easy to understand.

05/08/2026

“I believe that any progress made by one country will have a positive effect on other countries”
This is what His Excellency Adel Nassar, the Minister of Justice of Lebanon, said when asked how regional cooperation can advance people-centred justice reforms. When HiiL recently interviewed His Excellency at Justice Matters, we had the opportunity to discuss justice reforms, as well as the role of international cooperation and regional tensions.

Watch the interview via: https://youtu.be/oLmXvJlWYa4?si=HYJ8Tfo45DWBPz4J.

In this interview from the Justice Matters Conference, His Excellen...

04/08/2026

Last week, we officially handed over the Community Justice Centre in Owerri, Imo State, to local leadership.
At HiiL, we support Community Justice Centres as accessible local spaces where people can receive legal information, advice, referrals, mediation and counselling for everyday justice problems, including land and family disputes. In its first year, the Owerri Centre handled more than 185 cases and resolved 110 disputes. Four communities have already established their own centres after seeing the pilot’s impact, showing strong local ownership and demand for accessible justice. We are grateful to the partners, community leaders and justice actors who made this possible. Next stop: Ogun and Kaduna States.

Read up on our CJC in Imo: https://bit.ly/44SYqXI
https://bit.ly/4bGiYX3

30/07/2026

8 pillars are key for sustaining justice innovations.

What HiiL learned from our Community Justice Centres is that there is not one path to sustainable People-Centred Justice, although there are factors that help them flourish.

Want to know how we found them? Read the article:
https://www.hiil.org/news/from-pilots-to-sustainability-advancing-people-centred-justice-through-shared-learning/