- Almost two-thirds (64%) of Tunisians say they feel “somewhat confident” or “very confident” that ordinary people can obtain justice in the courts. But 33% express little or no such confidence.
- While two-thirds (67%) of citizens think they could obtain a fair resolution of a hypothetical court case, fewer than half think they could afford to take a case to court (45%) or would obtain a resolution within a reasonable time period (40%).
- Only 47% of respondents think they could afford the legal support they would need to pursue a case in court.
- Only one in 10 (9%) are aware of legal aid services that are available in their community.
- In case of a legal problem, only 11% of citizens say they would look to a local court for resolution. A majority (58%) say they would turn to the police.
- A majority (55%) of survey respondents say they trust the courts “somewhat” or “a lot.”
- About one in three Tunisians (32%) see “most” or “all” judges and magistrates as corrupt, in addition to 45% who say that “some of them” are corrupt.
- Two-thirds (66%) of citizens say that people are “often” or “always” treated unequally under the law.
- Three-fourths (76%) say officials who break the law frequently go unpunished.
- Nearly half (47%) of respondents say that judges and magistrates “often” or “always” decide cases based on the influence of powerful people, rather than based on the law.
- An overwhelming majority (85%) of Tunisians express support for the death penalty as a fair punishment for the most serious crimes.
Equitable access to justice is a pillar of democratic governance, enabling citizens to assert their rights and demand accountability from those in power (United Nations, 2019). Following its Arab Spring revolution, Tunisia embarked on an ambitious path toward democratic consolidation, with a new Constitution guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary, the supremacy of the Constitution, and protections of rights and freedoms (Constitute Project, 2014).
Tunisia has received substantial international support for justice-sector reform. For instance, the European Union and Council of Europe launched the joint “AP-JUST” programme to strengthen justice reform, improve court functioning, and enhance the quality of services provided to litigants (Council of Europe, 2022). Similarly, in 2023, International Bridges to Justice (2023) announced an initiative supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund aimed at developing the capacity of lawyers to offer legal assistance to vulnerable communities and improve access to justice. These initiatives have sought to modernise court administration, reduce case backlogs, improve infrastructure, and enhance legal professionals’ capacity through training programmes and technical assistance.
Despite these efforts, Tunisia’s justice system faces persistent challenges. The country ranks 85th out of 143 countries on the World Justice Project’s (2025a, b) Rule of Law Index, reflecting ongoing concerns about judicial effectiveness and access to justice. Since July 2021, Tunisia’s democratic trajectory has seen significant setbacks as President Kais Saied dissolved the Higher Judicial Council and issued executive decrees that undermined judicial independence, dismissed 57 judges, and concentrated power in the executive branch (Amnesty International, 2022; Zouai, 2023). Similarly, Amnesty International (2024) reported state-orchestrated targeting of at least 20 lawyers representing political opposition groups. These developments have raised concerns among international human-rights organisations and legal professionals about the future of judicial independence and access to justice in Tunisia (Law Society of England and Wales, 2024).
This dispatch reports findings from a special survey module on access to justice included in Afrobarometer’s Round 10 surveys.
Findings show that while a majority of Tunisians think ordinary people can obtain justice in the courts, they also doubt that they could afford to take a case to court or obtain the necessary legal support. Few are aware of legal aid services in their community.
Although more than half of citizens say they trust the courts at least “somewhat,” many see judges and magistrates as corrupt and think they often base their rulings on the influence of powerful people rather than the law. Most say that people are often treated unequally under the law and that officials who break the law often get off scot-free.
An overwhelming majority of Tunisians support the death penalty for the most serious crimes.