Tunisia
HiiL has been active in Tunisia since 2012. As one of our focus countries, our goal is to contribute to a justice system that is more accessible, responsive and people-centred. Since 2017, our work has been grounded in national Justice Needs and Satisfaction (JNS) data, helping to identify priority issues and co-develop practical solutions so more people can resolve their justice problems.
In 2021, we launched a dedicated multi-year programme centred on improving access to justice in employment-related disputes—a problem identified as one of the most common legal challenges in the country.
In 2025, we begin a complementary two-year initiative supporting justice solutions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (mSMEs). These businesses make up 99% of Tunisia’s economy, yet face persistent barriers in areas like registration, compliance, taxation and dispute resolution.
Strategic Partners
We collaborate with the Tunisian Presidency of the Government, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Labour Inspection, The National Registry for Companies (RNE) and the Tunisian Bar Association. These partnerships ensure that our activities are grounded in national priorities and have local ownership. We are also supported by the Dutch Embassy in Tunis and the Open Society Foundation.
Employment Justice programme (2021-2024)
HiiL’s Employment Justice Programme was implemented in partnership with the Tunisian Presidency of the Government, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Tunisian Bar Association to address Tunisia’s most pressing employment-related justice challenges. Over four years, the programme developed practical guidelines, convened dialogues, and ran Justice Innovation Labs to co-create solutions. Through the Justice Accelerator, innovative ideas were supported and scaled. A key outcome is Monde de Travail, a digital platform that helps employers, employees, and labour inspectors access information, resolve disputes, and strengthen fair employment practices.
Justice Needs and Satisfaction (JNS) Data
Understanding people’s real justice journeys is central to our work in Tunisia.
- In 2017 and again in 2023, HiiL conducted nationwide JNS surveys. The 2023 study reached 5,008 people across the country, including many who also took part in 2017, offering a rare longitudinal view of justice needs over time.
- In 2023–2025, we went further. For the first time, we launched a three-wave longitudinal JNS study, calling back the same respondents across three consecutive years. This approach provided a unique opportunity to track how people’s justice experiences evolve over time in Tunisia.
Key findings from the longitudinal study (2023–2025):
More than half of Tunisians faced at least one legal problem during the past three years.
The majority of legal problems remain unresolved; when they are resolved, only about half of the outcomes are seen as fair.
The most common issues relate to neighbour disputes, money problems, public services, and employment problems.
Most problems never reach the formal justice system: people rely primarily on family, friends, and neighbours, while only a small fraction engage lawyers or courts.
Each year, Tunisians experience an estimated 5 million legal problems, with significant social and economic consequences.
Justice for mSMEs (2025–2026)
A new initiative building on previous work and beginning with a national JNS survey focused on the legal needs of mSMEs. Activities will include: Development of evidence-based guidelines for justice providers, A dedicated Justice Innovation Lab to co-create scalable solutions, A Hack4Justice: AI Edition hackathon to support a public institution in developing a user-facing legal tech tool and High-level dialogues with national stakeholders on justice reforms for small businesses.
Justice Accelerator (2019–2024)
Notable supported startups include:
Juridoc specializes in legal documentation in business and tax law, offering intuitive access for legal professionals.
E-Tafakna uses artificial intelligence to simplify contract creation, analysis, and signing, aiming to make legal services more accessible—especially for individuals and small businesses—to reduce inequalities in access to justice.
Flouci by Kaoun, a fintech solution promoting financial inclusion and digital identity for Tunisians.
Idaraty, a digital platform that streamlines interactions between citizens and public administrations by offering clear, step-by-step guidance on over 400 administrative procedures.
Key Achievements
Employment Justice Platform (2024)
Co-designed with 25 key national stakeholders during the Justice Innovation Lab, this digital platform ‘Monde du Travail’ helps labour inspectors and users resolve work-related legal problems. It offers user-friendly information, tailored advice, early resolution tools, and referrals. The platform was developed under a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Ministry of Social Affairs in Tunisia, and was announced publicly in February 2025. The platform is now being integrated into the Ministry infrastructure and will be launched soon.
Justice Innovation Lab (2023)
A structured co-creation process involving government, legal professionals, innovators and civil society, which identified barriers and developed the Employment Justice Platform prototype.
Employment Justice Guideline (2024)
A practical resource for justice practitioners and policymakers, offering step-by-step guidance to improve outcomes in employment disputes based on behavioural insights and JNS data.
Tech the Justice Gap Forum (2023)
This high-level forum was held under the patronage of the Presidency of the Government and gathered over 200 justice professionals, policymakers and tech entrepreneurs. Event video and Forum report.
Justice Accelerator (2019–2024)
Over 130 startups supported across Tunisia, MENA, and Africa. In 2024 alone, 14 Tunisian startups received support and 135 young entrepreneurs joined three hackathons focused on employment justice and MSME legal needs.
Justice Innovators Parade (2024)
This national showcase featured 15 Tunisian startups and drew representatives from the Bar Association, CONECT (employers’ union), and national registries. The event fostered visibility and concrete partnership opportunities for local innovators.
Further reading
Empowering Tunisian Workplaces: HiiL Launches the Employment Justice Guideline
Treatment Guidelines provide recommendations on interventions that have proven to work. In Tunisia, more than 250,000 people find themselves in work-related disputes each year. Our latest Guideline examines employment issues in the country and how to resolve them—turning knowledge into action.
Empowering Justice: HiiL and the Bar Association Forge a Game-Changing Partnership
In a significant development for the advancement of justice systems and legal innovation, The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) and the Tunisian Bar Association recently announced a groundbreaking partnership.
New study brings to life the full scope of people’s legal problems in Tunisia
Our latest justice needs survey of 5,008 individuals details the legal problems facing people in Tunisia.
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