The Documentary
Against many odds there are, brave, committed, and mostly undervalued people who are working to deal with the immense justice challenge. The documentary, called the Hand of Justice for now, is about their incredible work and commitment and the people do it for. Each episode will feature one of them, in line with a structured storyline. Their stories will show what is possible.
What Justice Leaders do
They restore harmony and
trust within communities everywhere.
They work to change
broken systems for the common good.
They support small
businesses facing legal and social barriers.
They practice a justice craftsmanship that transforms lives.
They protect vulnerable
people from injustice and exclusion.
They are the bricks
in the
wall of a better justice house.
Stories from the Frontline
That judge in the remote North of Kenya who, in the absence of a court house used his own home for court proceedings for many years.
The Irish lawyer who worked on complicated war crimes cases and then went on to lead complicated, high profile public inquiries that helped people deal with historic wrongs.
The prosecutor in Mali who started a dial-in radio show to help people solve justice problems on air.
The Ugandan judge who taught herself mediation skills via You Tube and then went on to help countless families restore damaged relationships and move on.
The young French lawyer who set up a web-based platform to help people solve legal problems and invoke rights, if need be before a court.
The people who came together in a foundation to develop a new justice mechanism for the families who suffered greatly due to the child benefit scandal in the Netherlands.
They possess the art of listening and solving. They dare to innovate. They are brave. They persist. They can change systems, and take people with them. They dare take risks.
Justice Craftsmanship
Like the Chefs in the Netflix series Chef’s Table they cook amazing stuff every day. In ministries. In villages. In homes. In houses of God. As new start-ups. Because they get paid for it. As volunteers. Using their minds. Their hearts. Their hands. Their feet. Their ears, voice, and their eyes. With their justice magic they prevent conflicts. and when they do arise, they solve them so that people can move on.
These justice leaders work for courts, civil society and religious organisations, municipalities, police forces, ministries, law firms, churches, mosques, temples, international organisations, or simply for themselves. They live in Sweden, Argentina, Indonesia, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Mali.
We have met many of them. They do incredibly important work. Against many odds. You don’t see them on TV. They will probably not become millionaires. They rarely have fancy offices. They work long hours. They generally don’t win prizes. Many of the outcomes they produce remain invisible for outsiders. But their art is keeping us together.
Goals & Impact
The Hand of Justice documentary aims to bring people-centered justice to a much wider audience than the podcast can reach. Through powerful, character-driven storytelling that will humanize justice, shift public narratives, and spark demand for better, more accessible justice systems. The intended impact is to:The Hand of Justice documentary aims to bring people-centered justice to a much wider audience than the podcast can reach. Through powerful, character-driven storytelling that will humanize justice, shift public narratives, and spark demand for better, more accessible justice systems. The intended impact is to:
Reach a broad global audience by distributing the documentary through major broadcasters, streaming platforms, and film festivals, aiming for hundreds of thousands of viewers worldwide
Humanize justice by showing compelling frontline stories that make justice relatable, emotional, and understandable to non-experts.
Shift the narrative from justice as institutional process to justice as everyday fairness, dignity, and problem-solving.
Catalyze a global movement by inspiring citizens, innovators, and practitioners to push for people-centered justice reforms.
Elevate frontline people centered justice justice innovators, giving visibility and legitimacy to the individuals driving change in their communities.
Drive real-world engagement through screenings, discussions, and partnerships with NGOs, justice institutions, and universities.
Support fundraising and reform efforts by providing a powerful visual tool to mobilize funders, governments, and reform coalitions.
The documentary will serve as a high-impact communication and movement-building tool, reaching audiences far beyond the legal world and accelerating the transition toward Justice 2.0.
Different countries. High income, middle income, low income.
Different geographies: Europe, Arab world, Africa, and later South America, Asia, and more.
Different roles in the justice system: judge, prosecutor, lawyer, civil society leader, religious leader, social worker, international official.
Different positions: from the top of the hierarchy (minister, chief justice, chief prosecutor) to the grass roots lawyer.
Gender equality: male, female
Structure & Format
The Hand of Justice documentary is inspired by Chef’s Table, that amazing series. It is a series of portraits about such justice leaders. Each portrait shows his or her justice craftsmanship.
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The story in each episode is told through the eyes of the justice leader, a few people that are closely connected to him/her and that have seen him/her work, and the community or people they serve. They are selected carefully:
Possible Stories
A former constitution writer and chief justice
A grassroots lawyer working with women
A minister who rebuilt a justice system from scratch
A judge who brings justice to homeless people
A member of a local council court
A traditional leader who keeps his community safe and harmonious
A religious leader who helps families
A prosecutor working with radicalized youth
An innovator who built a resolution platform
A leader who has worked on human rights violations at scale and mass atrocities
Episode Structure
In around 40-50 minutes, based on a more or less fixed format, the story of him or her is told. Each episode is developed around 4 core questions:
01
​Who are you? Why do you do what you do? What drives that?
02
Who are the people you help? Who do you serve, deep down? Children? Families? Small businesses? Neighbourhoods? A community? A country? The world?
03
What do you do? What is your 'craft'? How do you do it? How do you work, engage, talk, listen, prevent, resolve, help people move on, fund what you do, cope with or change the system?
04
Can you keep doing it? Can you keep going? What could be done to have more of what you do?
We will show people. Faces. Houses. Landscapes. Lives of people, where they are. Movement. We will show the craft of each leader in action. Preparing. Listening. Talking. Deciding. Going places. Doubting. We will respect the privacy of the people involved - in particular those that are involved in justice problems.
The Storyline
Segment 1: The Drive (10 minutes)
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Dive into the personal journey of the justice leader​
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Explore their background, experiences, and motivations​
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Interview the leader to uncover what drives them to improve access to justice​
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Images of the country/community he/she works in. Close ups of his/her face, hands. Childhood pictures, family. A personal place he/she likes to come for peace and reflection
Segment 3: The Craftsmanship (20 minutes)
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Explore the methods, strategies, and innovations employed by the justice leader
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Interview community members, experts and colleagues who have witnessed the leader's impact
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Showcase specific cases or initiatives led by the justice leader.
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Images of faces, hands, feet, where people live, where they work.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
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Summarise the key takeaways from the episode
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Back to the wider Justice 2.0 picture. Inviting people to the next episode
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Start (5 mins)
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The overall umbrella story of the series: Justice 2.0.​
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Why it is important​
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Take the viewer along: why it is important and relevant to watch. What we can learn Compelling​
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Each episode his this same beginning
Segment 2: The Beneficiaries (10 minutes)
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Highlight the people and communities the justice leader serves
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Share real-life stories and testimonials from those impacted by their work
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Discuss the specific challenges faced by these individuals before the leader's intervention
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Images of faces, hands, feet, where people live, where they work
Segment 4: The Vision for Change (10 minutes)
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Discuss the broader implications of the leader's work through the stories of others: beneficiaries, experts, politicians, and the leader him/herself. Explore insights into the leader's influence on the justice system
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Explore how what the leader does can be kept going. What is needed for that? What are your challenges and opportunities? ​​​
Five Examples
Willy Mutunga
Former Chief Justice of Kenya. Grew up as a young boy in a small village, East of Nairobi. Lived through the transition of Kenya from a largely rural, colonized country to what it is today. Drafted and led the adoption of the 2010 constitution, one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. Was the first chief justice under that new constitution and had to start the transformation of the justice system so that its promise could be met. The current chief justice builds on his work. He continues to be a vocal advocate for justice.
A traditional leader from Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria. Comes from a lineage of traditional leaders. First found himself a ‘normal’ job, but then went back to this, as a deep calling.Works on community harmony, day in day out. Couples who have problems, inheritance issues, and the multitude of land disputes, in a complex and volatile environment. Uses time tested methods to prevent and resolve disputes.
Isyaku Garba
Matt Wechter
A Deputy Public Defender from San Diego and leader of the Homeless Court programme. It started out as a support structure for homeless veterans in the San Diego, bringing legal, medical, and financial services to those that need it most, where they are. It is now a nationally operating network and a unique method through which homeless and other vulnerable people can get help to get their lives back together again, instead of being crushed by the (legal) system.
One of the 51 magistrates serving in Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). She presides in the Chamber for the Recognition of Truth and Responsibility, which pioneers restorative justice by encouraging former combatants to fully disclose their actions in exchange for lighter sentences, while providing a platform for victims to participate, including through “dialogic” victim-defendant engagement. She works to humanize justice, emphasising community harmony where possible, and making sustainable peace a reality.
Jullietta Lemaitre
Gerald Abila
Gerald Abila is an attorney, social entrepreneur, and the founder of BarefootLaw, a pioneering legal-tech nonprofit based in Kampala. His aim: to close the justice gap for Uganda’s vulnerable communities. His mission is to democratize access to justice using digital tools, from rural solar-powered justice boxes, to AI-enabled platforms - reaching hundreds of thousands monthly across Uganda and expanding throughout Africa.
* The list is longer. The final selection will be made when we start filming.
Look and Feel
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Images that show faces, hands, feet, close range.
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Images of places where the justice leader grew up, where they live, where they work
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Immagies of where the justice is happening
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Emotions visible.
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Images of the people and communities they serve
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Earth colours
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They talk, tell the story.
Production Partners
Starsound Productions:
Producer of the documentary and lead on marketing. An experienced production company in the public-good domain including work related to the Dutch childcare benefits scandal
Justice Compass Advisers:
The firm to which Sam and Martin belong as partners, which includes justice leaders in its partnergroup, who have serves at the highest levels, and who serve as advisers, and who open up their networks
We are open to additional partners who can contribute, for example, innovative law firms as financial sponsors.
Budget
The total budget for the first episode is EUR XXXX, specified below.
Current Status
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We have completed the documentary concept and format.
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We have lined up the four of the five justice leaders to feature in the first 3 episodes: Juliette Lemaitre, Matt Wechter, Ysyaku Garba, and Gerald Abila.
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The partnership with Starsound Productions has been concluded.
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We plan to make a first episode with Justice Juliette Lemaitre. That first episode will be aired and used to attract funding for more episodes.
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The storyline has been worked out with her. She is ready for us. We are aiming for March 2026.
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We have lined up a Colombian production lead for this episode: Maria Cataline Sandova, a Colombian documentary maker,
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We have completed a budget for the first episode and are starting the fundraising.
Our Dream
Many more documentaries, vidoes, films about the hand of justice, and how important it is. For different audiences: different age groups, different geographies, differen sectors, and more.
