Mali

In 2012, a secessionist rebellion cut off northern Mali and imposed a harsh form of Shari’a law in the territories it controlled. Following the defeat of the insurgency, Mali has been striving to reassert statehood. But an effective redeployment of state institutions in the North, including a functional criminal justice system, has yet to take place. In addition to infrastructure problems, insecurity, endemic corruption, and a general shortage of capacity and resources all converge to limit access to justice. There is an overall lack of accountability. Both by tradition and due to the dysfunctional state of the courts, most Malians rely on customary law structures. Yet these often fail to comply with either domestic law or international standards. IDLO has been supporting efforts to improve access to lawful and effective criminal law dispute resolution mechanisms. We also support Malian civil society organizations and other non-state actors in monitoring and evaluating progress.