Somaliland has adopted a 3-year Judiciary Reform Implementation Roadmap (2026–2029) following a national conference in Hargeisa, outlining sweeping reforms to strengthen judicial independence, modernize courts, expand legal aid, and improve access to justice through the UN Joint Rule of Law Programme II
By Saxafi Media Staff
HARGEISA, Somaliland — Somaliland has launched its most comprehensive judicial reform agenda in years after adopting a three-year implementation roadmap designed to strengthen judicial independence, modernize court administration and expand access to justice across the country.
The Judiciary Reform Implementation Roadmap (2026–2029) was endorsed during the National Judiciary Conference on Judicial Reform, Independence and Access to Justice, held in Hargeisa from 28–29 June 2026. More than 150 judges, government officials, lawyers, academics, civil society representatives and development partners attended the conference to define the next phase of the country’s justice sector reforms.
The roadmap transforms broad reform commitments into an implementation strategy aimed at strengthening institutions, improving coordination among justice agencies and ensuring that legal services become more accessible to Somaliland’s citizens, particularly vulnerable and marginalized communities.
A National Commitment to Strengthening the Rule of Law
Delegates also adopted a national communiqué that builds upon commitments first agreed during the National Justice Conference in December 2025.
The communiqué reaffirms Somaliland’s commitment to protecting judicial independence, enhancing accountability within the courts, expanding legal aid, strengthening institutional cooperation and increasing public confidence in the justice system.
Rather than serving as a policy declaration alone, the roadmap establishes a practical framework for implementation over the next three years.
Its priorities include:
- Strengthening the Judicial Commission;
- Increasing the number of Supreme Court judges;
- Improving salaries, welfare and professional support for judges;
- Modernizing court administration and digital case-management systems;
- Establishing the Somaliland Judicial Training Institute;
- Strengthening judicial accountability and complaints mechanisms;
- Expanding legal responses to cybercrime and cyberbullying;
- Improving court infrastructure and technology;
- Strengthening enforcement of court judgments; and
- Advancing a broad package of legislative reforms affecting the justice sector.
The legislative programme also proposes revisions to laws governing the judiciary, evidence procedures, judicial welfare, the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, the Penal Code, family law, customary justice, anti-corruption legislation, counterterrorism, violence against women, advocates, notaries, land disputes and tax dispute resolution.
Tackling Persistent Challenges
Conference participants acknowledged that Somaliland has made measurable progress in strengthening its justice institutions over recent years.
However, delegates agreed that significant challenges remain.
Court backlogs, limited legal aid services, inadequate institutional resources and unequal access to justice continue to affect thousands of Somalilanders—particularly women, children, persons with disabilities, internally displaced people and residents of remote rural communities.
The roadmap seeks to address these shortcomings through stronger judicial performance, improved institutional capacity and wider availability of legal assistance.
Addressing the conference, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro described an independent judiciary as one of the essential foundations of Somaliland’s democratic development.
“The judiciary and justice are the most important pillars for protecting the rule of law, the rights of citizens and the foundations of statehood.”
His remarks reflected the conference’s central message: that sustainable governance depends upon credible, impartial and accessible justice institutions.
Access to Justice Must Reach Everyone
Throughout the conference, speakers stressed that judicial reform must produce tangible improvements for those who face the greatest barriers when seeking justice.
Ifrah Aden, Chairperson of the Somaliland Women Lawyers Association (SWLA), highlighted the financial obstacles many women encounter during family law proceedings.
“Every mother going through divorce proceedings should have access to a lawyer free of charge. Justice should not depend on whether a woman can afford legal representation.”
Her comments reinforced calls for expanding legal aid services and ensuring that economic hardship does not prevent vulnerable citizens from obtaining legal representation.
Lawyers Welcome the Reform Agenda
Legal practitioners attending the conference described the gathering as an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration across Somaliland’s legal profession.
Balkisa Ibrahim, a lawyer with Raven Law Firm, said the discussions demonstrated how far the justice sector has progressed while also underscoring the work that still lies ahead.
“Participating in the conference deepened my understanding of the reforms taking place within the justice system. The discussions and recommendations exchanged underscored the necessity of a judiciary founded on fairness and equal justice for all.”
Participants agreed that meaningful judicial reform depends not only on institutional change but also on developing skilled legal professionals capable of sustaining those reforms.
Universities Seen as Pillars of Reform
Legal education emerged as another major theme of the conference.
Abdifatah Mohamed Saed “Hagerlaawe,” Dean of the School of Law and Legal Studies at Franz Fanon University, emphasized the critical role universities play in producing future judges, prosecutors and advocates.
“Law faculties in our universities are the cornerstone of a strong and independent judiciary. By educating competent, ethical and justice-oriented legal professionals, they lay the foundation for the rule of law, judicial excellence and sustainable national development in Somaliland.”
His remarks highlighted the importance of investing in legal education alongside institutional reform.
From Vision to Implementation
Closing the conference, Chief Justice Adam Haji Ali, who also chairs the Judicial Commission, said reforms initiated following the 2025 National Justice Conference have established a solid foundation for the next stage of modernization.
He emphasized that implementation—not policy announcements—will determine whether the reforms produce lasting improvements for justice institutions and the public.
The adoption of the 2026–2029 roadmap marks the beginning of what officials describe as a coordinated national effort to build a stronger, more efficient and more accountable judiciary.
The Role of the UN Joint Rule of Law Programme II
The conference reaffirmed that Somaliland’s judicial reforms are nationally led, with international partners supporting priorities identified by Somaliland’s justice institutions.
Central to those efforts is the UN Joint Rule of Law Programme II (JROLP II), a US$3 million initiative running from 2023 to 2026 and implemented by UNDP, UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with funding from the European Union and the Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
The programme builds upon two previous rule of law initiatives and seeks to strengthen inclusive, accountable and rights-based justice institutions across Somaliland.
Operating through a regional hub model, the programme extends justice and security services to rural and underserved communities while strengthening coordination among courts, police, corrections institutions and traditional justice mechanisms.
Among its core objectives are:
- Expanding community awareness of legal rights and available justice mechanisms.
- Increasing access to legal aid, particularly for women, girls, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons and minority communities.
- Strengthening gender-responsive policing and civilian oversight of the Somaliland Police.
- Combating gender-based violence through improved prevention, investigation and survivor support.
- Enhancing criminal justice institutions by promoting alternatives to incarceration, improving detention conditions and expanding restorative justice.
- Supporting women’s participation and leadership within justice and security institutions.
- Building stronger institutional capacity across the Ministry of Justice, Supreme Court, Attorney General’s Office, Somaliland Police, Custodial Corps, Human Rights Commission, legal associations, universities and civil society organizations.
The programme also works closely with traditional elders, recognizing Somaliland’s plural legal system while encouraging greater alignment between customary and formal justice mechanisms.
Looking Ahead
The adoption of the Judiciary Reform Implementation Roadmap (2026–2029) represents one of Somaliland’s most ambitious justice sector initiatives in recent years.
Its success, however, will depend not only on legislative reforms and institutional modernization, but also on sustained political commitment, adequate funding and effective cooperation between government institutions, legal professionals, civil society and development partners.
For Somaliland, the roadmap offers more than a plan to modernize courts. It represents a long-term commitment to building an independent judiciary capable of delivering fair, timely and accessible justice—an essential pillar for democratic governance, economic development and public confidence in the rule of law.
