The Justice Needs and Satisfaction study was conducted in Fiji in 2018 by the EU funded Fiji Access to Justice Project with technical expertise of the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL). Almost 5,000 individuals from all four divisions of Fiji and more than 60 justice sector stakeholders were interviewed in the survey. The report was subject to a validation session conducted on 14 October, which was attended by representatives from Fiji’s justice sector and other government agencies, independent institutions, individual legal practitioners, and civil society.

The study provides a clear understanding of a range of issues, importantly including an understanding of people’s justice needs; establishing how people experience the justice system; people’s perceptions of justice and the fulfilment of their justice needs, or lack thereof. The report focused on two distinct categories of legal problems, domestic violence and land disputes, which occur frequently and require accessible and effective justice remedies as highlighted in the report.

Acknowledging existing formal and informal mechanisms available to meet people’s justice needs, the report presents gaps in the availability and utilization of such mechanisms; barriers faced by people in accessing justice and meeting their justice needs.

The study also includes a participatory gender analysis and identifies specific obstacles faced by particular groups of people, recognizing that vulnerable groups such as young women and sexual and gender minorities were not likely to share their legal problems. The report suggests that unreported and hidden problems require the special attention of service providers, civil society organizations and policy makers.

The report provides recommendations in specific fields and suggested action plans to address the gaps informed by the findings in this report.