Access to Justice in Today’s Libya

In today’s Libya, a lack of access to justice inherited from Gaddafi’s era has worsened because of the political bifurcation associated at times with armed conflicts. This has affected people in general and members of vulnerable/disadvantaged groups such as women, ethnic minorities, migrants and IDPs in particular. Injustices faced are both ‘ordinary’ and transitional and occurred under Gaddafi’s rule and in his aftermath. In a heavily under researched country, the presenter and an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners from Libya and the Netherlands have since 2012 been studying Libya’s formal and informal legal systems, with a view to contributing to a better access to justice. The latest of their collaborative research is a project on access to justice in Libya (2021-2024) carried out in various parts of the country on selected justice seekers and providers. The presenter will share with the audience insights from this project and the previous ones.