On Monday, March 31, in the city of Nampula, the Supreme Court launched an initiative aimed at strengthening access to justice in the north of the country, acknowledging that the judicial system remains out of reach for a significant portion of the population, particularly young people, women, and vulnerable communities, reported the Mozambique News Agency.
Presented by Supreme Court President Adelino Muchanga, the project is a response to structural constraints that persist in various regions, particularly in the provinces of Nampula and Niassa, where factors such as geographic isolation, pressure on natural resources, and limited institutional capacity continue to hinder the effective functioning of judicial services.
“This project focuses primarily on the provinces of Niassa and Nampula, covering several districts with specific challenges in accessing justice,” said Adelino Muchanga, emphasizing the targeted nature of the initiative.
The initiative takes an integrated approach focused on modernizing the courts, building human capacity, and decentralizing services, with the aim of making justice faster, more accessible, and more effective. Among the priorities is also the strengthening of mechanisms to combat corruption, which is often cited as one of the obstacles to the system’s credibility.
According to the official, the project seeks to reach segments of the population that face the greatest obstacles in exercising their rights. Among these are women and girls in rural areas, who are often excluded from access to land and other resources, as well as young people with no connection to the formal education system or the labor market.
The initiative also involves community actors, such as traditional, religious, and paralegal leaders, who, despite playing a significant role in conflict mediation, often operate without an adequate legal framework. Traditional communities are also taken into account, given that their practices are not always recognized within the formal justice system.
For Adelino Muchanga, addressing these realities is essential to reducing inequalities in access to the courts. “Accessible, swift, understandable, and impartial justice is not merely an ideal; it is a demand of our time and an inescapable responsibility of institutions,” he stated.
The project also includes the creation of specialized divisions within the courts to handle cases of high social sensitivity, a measure that is expected to contribute to more consistent and technically sound decisions.
On that occasion, the Secretary of State for Nampula Province, Plácido Pereira, highlighted the importance of the initiative for strengthening the state’s judicial system, noting that it could have a direct impact on the protection of fundamental rights.
“We believe it will help ensure that vulnerable and low-income citizens have their fundamental rights respected,” he stated.
In addition, the official expressed hope for a reduction in the length of legal proceedings, noting benefits in combating judicial delays, corruption, and environmental crime.
On the ground, the project will cover, in Nampula Province, the districts of Meconta, Malema, Mecubúri, Mossuril, Nacala-a-Velha, Nacala, Ribáuè, and Nampula. In Niassa, the initiative will reach Lago, Cuamba, Mandimba, Mecula, Chimbonila, Mecanhelas, and Lichinga.
Titled “Improving Access to Justice in Northern Mozambique,” the project is scheduled to run through December 31, 2027, and is funded with 44.8 million meticais—equivalent to approximately $704,000—provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
