Horizon implemented a two-year Somaliland Justice Sector Project (SJSP), which was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). SJSP supported the efforts of Somaliland’s formal justice institutions–the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General’s Office, the Law Reform Commission, the High Judicial Council and the Lawyers and Licensing Committee–in providing a fair, efficient and effective justice system. Horizon seeked to ensure that the SJSP strengthened national ownership of justice sector reform by aligning with the Government of Somaliland's priorities as expressed in the National Development Plan, the Somaliland Justice Reform Strategy, and the Somaliland Special Agreement.
By working with local actors we created the foundation for a strong and sustainable justice sector that upholds values of peace, reconciliation, and human rights. Horizon believes that by improving the justice sector, Somaliland institutions are now empowered to move from a state of fragility and underdevelopment to resilence and stability. Horizon's work is all encompassing, from having proposed amendments to current laws, trained prosecutors on how to handle sexual and gender-based crimes, to establishing legal aid services to juveniles, and worked on improving the internal structure of institutions within the justice sector.
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Initiatives
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Combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Horizon works to strengthen the prosecution of sex crimes cases. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a sensitive topic in Somaliland and there is a severe lack of justice and... -
Strengthening Institutions
As part of our overall goal to create resilient and stable institutions, Horizon has worked on an array of projects with multiple bodies that make up the justice sector in... -
Increasing Access to Legal Aid
Horizon works with the Ministry of Justice towards empowering local lawyers to create and organise bodies dedicated to providing legal aid services and improving the effectiveness of existing legal aid... -
Internationalising Legal Education
As part of Horizon's commitment to sustainable development, the Somaliland Justice Sector Project conducted a study tour to Cape Town, South Africa, focused on juvenile justice, for five staff members... -
Establishing a Bar Association and a Code of Conduct
Bar associations are essential for upholding the rule of law and human rights. Because lawyers are integral to accessing the justice system, it is key that there is an independent... -
Providing Legal Empowerment
The Somaliland Paralegal Project equips Somalilanders who cannot afford a lawyer with basic knowledge of criminal law and procedure so they can better navigate the criminal justice system. Our paralegals... -
Improving Juvenile Justice
One of Horizon’s primary initiatives is strengthening and improving juvenile justice in Somaliland. We have conducted extensive research on children in conflict with the law, held juvenile justice workshops for... -
Strengthening Adherence to Human Rights
In our continuing effort to ensure the value of human rights is ingrained on an institutional level, Horizon has taken on numerous tasks that we hope will influence other local... -
Strengthening Criminal Justice
Beyond improving juvenile justice and tackling the challenges the formal justice system faces with prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence, Horizon has also focused on criminal justice practices as a whole,...