ILAC is supporting the Tunisian justice sector in upholding its functions and mandate to ensure equal access to justice and enhance public trust in the judiciary.
Regional Background
The desire for a democratic state allowing for civil, political, economic and social rights was a driving factor behind the Jasmine revolution in Tunisia in 2011. The Tunisian people expected swift improvements on these conditions following the fairly rapid removal of the Ben Ali regime.
Whilst Tunisians have gained political freedom and freedom of expression, corruption has become ‘democratised’ and is now rife at all levels of society. The economic downturn has also implied limited social development and high unemployment rates, especially among young Tunisians.
As a result, frustrations are rising almost eight years after the revolution. The slow institutional development is impacting the public’s trust in the state and thus contributing to the fragility of the democratic system. This mismatch between expectation and reality is a dilemma widely experienced in complex democratic transitions, which in reality take decades if not centuries to achieve true stability.
What we do in Tunisia
Our aims are to increase the professionalism of the Tunisian justice sector actors and enhance public trust in the Tunisian judiciary; and to improve judicial and legal education to support the development of justice sector professionals responsive to and applying international human rights standards.
ILAC projects in Tunisia focus on:
- improving the administrative capacity of the Tunisian Administrative court;
- supporting the increased knowledge adjudication and protection of economic, social and cultural rights; and
- supporting the improvement of more interactive and comprehensive human rights education at judicial and legal training institutes.
