Justice Needs and Satisfaction in Mali 2018

In 2014 we established a baseline. The Ministry of Justice of Mali took measures to improve Malians’ access to justice. In 2018 we evaluated the system again to help the Ministry track their progress, together with some innovative indicators of SDG 16.3.

HiiL conducted the second wave Justice Needs Survey in Mali in cooperation with the Malian Ministry of Justice. Following the results from our first study in 2014, we co-designed the new survey to measure the progress that the country has made in providing access to justice to its citizens.

The 2014 Justice Needs and Satisfaction Study revealed that one in three Malians had experienced a justice problem in the past four years. The results showed that people suffer in particular from disputes concerning land, crimes and employment. For women, family problems are the most frequent issue. Only three out of four Malians take action to resolve their problems, and mainly seek resolution within their families or the community. In addition, the study captured the needs of the population regarding reconciliation.

In the years since, the government has taken various actions to improve the situation for those who experience justice problems throughout the country. The second wave of the Justice Needs and Satisfaction Study will evaluate the progress. We have co-created indicators to track progress on anti-corruption measures and SDG 16.3.

An additional element to the project is to focus on the transfer of knowledge and capacity building among the judiciary. This way, the country can easily measure its progress with access to justice in the future.