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.
Below, we set out what the documentary series is about, how we will tell the story, which justice leaders we already have in mind for episodes, who we are, and we invite partners, including funders for an amount of EUR 50.000 to make a first trailer.
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
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 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.
The Colombian judge, making the Special Peace Courts, a unique form of restorative justice, work for both victims of war and for those involved in it as fighters, so people can move on and rebuild their lives.
The deputy minister of justice in Spain, who leads and amazing team that has, in the past decade, made the justice system much more people-centered through user friendly digitalisation.
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 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 prosecutor in the US who set up the Homeless Courts, which come to those who are most vulnerable, instead of asking them to come to courts.
The traditional leader from Northern Nigeria, who is settling complex herder-farmer disputes, in a world driven by climate change.
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 wide audience, through powerful, character-driven storytelling that will humanize justice, shift public narratives, and spark demand for better, more accessible justice systems.
Out two inspirations: the documentary series Chef's Table, featuring amazing chefs who cook amaing dishes for people, and. Human Playground, a series about the importance of games for people and communities.
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.
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: minister, parliamentarian, judge, prosecutor, lawyer, civil society leader, religious leader, social worker, international official, and more. From the top of the hierarchy (minister, chief justice, chief prosecutor) to the grass roots lawyer.
Gender equality: male, female
Format
The Hand of Justice documentary a series of portraits about justice leaders. Each portrait shows his or her justice craftsmanship.
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.
Stories we know of
A minister who rebuilt a justice system from scratch
A judge who brings justice to homeless people
A traditional leader who keeps his community safe and harmonious
A prosecutor working with radicalized youth
A leader who has worked on human rights violations at scale and mass atrocities
A former constitution writer and chief justice
A grassroots lawyer working with women
A chair of a local council community court
A religious leader who helps families
An innovator who built a resolution platform
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)
-
Dive into the personal journey of the justice leader
-
Explore their background, experiences, and motivations
-
Interview the leader to uncover what drives them to improve access to justice
-
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)
-
Explore the methods, strategies, and innovations employed by the justice leader
-
Interview community members, experts and colleagues who have witnessed the leader's impact
-
Showcase specific cases or initiatives led by the justice leader.
-
Images of faces, hands, feet, where people live, where they work.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
-
Summarise the key takeaways from the episode
-
Back to the wider Justice 2.0 picture. Inviting people to the next episode
.png){kind=small}
Start (5 mins)
-
The overall umbrella story of the series: Justice 2.0.
-
Why it is important
-
Take the viewer along: why it is important and relevant to watch. What we can learn Compelling
-
Each episode his this same beginning
Segment 2: The Beneficiaries (10 minutes)
-
Highlight the people and communities the justice leader serves
-
Share real-life stories and testimonials from those impacted by their work
-
Discuss the specific challenges faced by these individuals before the leader's intervention
-
Images of faces, hands, feet, where people live, where they work
Segment 4: The Vision for Change (10 minutes)
-
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
-
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
-
Images that show faces, hands, feet, close range.
-
Images of places where the justice leader grew up, where they live, where they work
-
Immagies of where the justice is happening
-
Emotions visible.
-
Images of the people and communities they serve
-
Earth colours
-
They talk, tell the story.
Partners
-
Storytelling, network, initiators: Sam Muller and Martin Gramatikov - working together at Justice Compass Advisers.
-
Documentary making: Jubilian Ngaruwa, documentary filmmaker at Africaunscripted.org
-
Adviser and potential supporter on production, once funding is available: Starsound Production
We are looking for partners who can contribute production power and financial sponsors.
Current Status
-
We have completed the documentary concept and format.
-
We are talking to potential producers and funders.
-
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.
-
We want to start with a short trailer, featuring Ysyaku Garba (Nigeria) and Juliette Lemaitre (Colombia).
-
We are seeking approximately EUR 50.000 of funding. The storylines have been worked out with both.
