Improving access to justice in Northern Mozambique
This project aims to improve access to justice in two provinces in Northern Mozambique by empowering provincial and district courts. Through a combination of training, procedural reform and infrastructure upgrades, Switzerland will directly support the Supreme Court to deliver faster and more effective justice, with a particular focus on corruption cases and land-related disputes.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mozambique |
Governance nothemedefined
Anti-corruption organisations
Legal and judicial development |
01.12.2025
- 31.12.2027 |
CHF 600’000
|
- Central State of South East
- Other Academic Research North
- Supreme Court of Mozambique
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Anti-corruption organisations and institutions
Legal and judicial development
Anti-corruption organisations and institutions
Legal and judicial development
Cross-cutting topics The project supports partner organisation improvements as a priority
Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
Project and programme contribution
Project number 7F11660
| Background |
With nearly 60% of the population living in remote areas and 81% (WB, 2025) below the poverty line, access to justice in Mozambique remains limited, especially for marginalised groups. The judiciary system suffers from a critical shortage of trained judges and prosecutors, inadequate infrastructure, outdated paper-based procedures, and insufficient decentralisation of court services. Since Mozambique's judicial reforms in 1978, efforts to modernise the courts and ensure equitable access have been insufficient. The increasing complexity of legal cases in a country heavily affected by corruption and land conflicts requires specialisation within the judiciary, but this remains underdeveloped. Switzerland’s anti-corruption and land governance projects have yielded positive results, but the limited capacity of the judiciary system to resolve cases is compromising them. There is therefore a need to strengthen the institutions in charge of delivering justice to maximise the impact of Switzerland’s governance interventions. |
| Objectives | To improve access to justice through modernisation, capacity building, and decentralisation of the judicial courts in Niassa and Nampula Provinces, with fast and effective justice in the fight against corruption. |
| Target groups |
Direct target groups: Indirect target groups / beneficiaries: |
| Medium-term outcomes |
Outcome 1: judicial courts are accessible and modernised. Outcome 2: judicial processes related to asset recovery and land dispute cases are fast-tracked. Outcome 3: citizens are sensitised to promote respect for the rule of law and enhance confidence in judicial courts. |
| Results |
Expected results: • Expanded court mediation services and reduced judicial costs. • Scaled up SEIJE system use. • Strengthened paralegals and community courts for local dispute resolution. • Trained judges, prosecutors, and staff on asset recovery, corruption, and land cases. • Improved coordination among judicial, anti-corruption, law enforcement, and land authorities. Results from previous phases: N/A |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner Foreign academic and research organisation Foreign state institution |
| Coordination with other projects and actors | This intervention directly complements the ongoing SDC Anti-corruption and Accountability Programme and the Land and Natural Resources Local Governance project. It also complements European Union funding, which contributes to similar activities in a different geographic area. |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 600’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 0 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 600’000 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF 0 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 600’000 |
| Project phases |
Phase 1 01.12.2025 - 31.12.2027 (Active) |
