Hargeisa – Presenting before the Judicial Conference, the Somaliland Human Rights Commission (HRC)—represented by attorney Ms. Raaqiya—detailed its ongoing legal aid initiatives for vulnerable groups, including women, children, and economically disadvantaged citizens. While reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to bridging the justice gap, Ms. Raqiya delivered a sobering assessment of the barriers that continue to undermine fair and timely legal recourse.
Among the most critical challenges cited:
· Excessive case backlogs that stretch court proceedings over years, often exhausting plaintiffs and defendants alike.
· Prohibitively high litigation costs, which effectively price out low-income citizens from seeking redress.
· Prolonged pretrial detention, with many suspects languishing in custody without formal charges or trial dates—a practice that contravenes both domestic law and international human rights standards.
· Dilapidated and inaccessible court infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, where citizens must travel great distances to access basic judicial services.
To address these obstacles, the HRC put forward a suite of sustainable recommendations, including the digitization of court records to streamline case management, the expansion of legal aid clinics into underserved districts, and urgent investments in modern, accessible courthouse facilities. The Commission warned that without immediate action, public disillusionment with the judiciary would only deepen.
