In 2017, the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) set out to support 150 million people globally. To ensure that they're able to resolve their most pressing justice needs, through various means.
“We do this by introducing innovation in the Justice ecosystem with collaboration from governments, funders, lawyers, courts, and entrepreneurs. Innovations and innovators are the pistons of our Innovating Justice Challenge that we run every year,” the statement read.
According to the statement, “88% of Ugandans face a serious injustice annually, but only 5% of those injustices end up in the courts and only 1% of the population can afford a lawyer to follow up on their case(s).”
“You can imagine how many walk away unhappy! ....that is why we're looking for Innovations again this year!,” Brian Ndyaguma from HiiL Uganda wrote in an email.
One of the ways HiiL is achieving its goal of supporting the 150 million is through the HiiL Innovating Justice Challenge. The Challenge "scouts out for the most enterprising, impactful, unique and game-changing ideas that can deliver safe, fast and effective access to justice to all citizens without discrimination.”
To date, according to Brian Ndyaguma, HiiL has supported 7 innovations in Uganda since 2015 and 30 globally.
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Some of those supported from Uganda, as cited from HiiL’s website, are Justice 2 People (J2P), Sauti, Wetaase, Evidence & Methods Lab as well as Lawyers for Farmers.
Barefoot Law, a Ugandan law firm that leverages technology to drive accessibility of legal services to the masses, was also part of the HiiL Justice Accelerator.
For this year's entries, HiiL has announced a call for application for innovators in the justice sector for the Innovating Justice Challenge 2018. The deadline for application will close on 31st May 2018.
According to HiiL, “the three most pressing justice needs for Ugandans are Land, Crime & Law Enforcement and Family Justice.” Which indirectly implies that innovations in those areas stand a higher chance of getting accepted into the challenge.