Syria
In Syria, over a decade of conflict has left millions without access to the justice they need. Legal problems such as lack of civil documentation, violence against women and housing or family disputes remain widespread. Since 2018, HiiL has worked with Syrian experts and communities to address these challenges through the Syria Justice Innovation Process (SJIP). With recent political shifts and signs of renewed engagement in the region, there is a growing opportunity to explore more sustainable, people-centred justice solutions.
SJIP focuses on practical, people-centred solutions to Syria’s most pressing justice needs. The process is led by a diverse Stakeholder Team of around 30 Syrian justice leaders – from judges and lawyers to civil society actors – working together to co-create solutions that help Syrians prevent or resolve their most pressing justice problems.
So far, SJIP has:
- Defined Justice Innovation Goals (JIGs) through inclusive national dialogues.
- Supported 17 innovative solutions for two priorities:
1. Safe and effective access to personal documents
2. Reducing violence against women
These innovations have reached over 200,000 Syrians through grassroots innovations such as mobile legal clinics, the YasminaBot chatbot for survivors of violence, and Beit Dafy, a game educating youth about early marriage.
In this continued phase of SJIP (SJIP III) planned until October 2025, we are building on these results. The Stakeholder Team has reconvened, reviewed justice priorities, and selected a new legal problem (the right to work in the private sector with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable groups, mainly women) to address through support to new innovations by October 2025.
SJIP, built from Syrians for Syrians, demonstrates that even in fragile settings, justice innovation is possible, when rooted in local leadership, informed by people’s real needs, and supported through collaboration.
Justice that starts with people is key to Syria’s long-term stability and recovery.
Key Achievements
Defined Justice Innovation Goals (JIGs)
Supported 17 innovative solutions
Further reading
Justice Innovation Lab: Advancing Legal Solutions for Fairer Work Environments in Syria
Between March and May 2025, we had the privilege of facilitating the Justice Innovation Lab under
This is the story of the Syrian Justice Innovation Project
This is the story of the Syria Justice Innovation Process. A diverse group of Syrians who decided to put their differences aside to achieve one goal: help the people of Syria solve their daily most pressing justice problems.
Stories of change: Syrian Innovators for user-friendly justice
“The daily justice needs for millions of Syrians remains urgent, and out of reach,” said Theresa Smout, HiiL’s Director of Justice Transformation, in her welcoming remarks during the event Stories of Change: Syrian Innovators for user-friendly justice. The 16 June event served as a capstone to Phase II of the Syria Justice Innovation Process (SJIP), a HilL-facilitated project committed to identifying and addressing the everyday legal problems facing Syrians.
Learn more about HiiL
