FOUNDER(S): SARAH STEPHENS

THE COMPANY

I started Smart Justice after witnessing the inequalities and suffering caused when people lack access to justice. Having spent several years working as a lawyer on access to justice and community justice solutions in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa, I saw firsthand how individuals, particularly women, were deprived of their rights simply because they didn't know how to claim them. This experience led me to explore how mobile phones—widely accessible even in low-income regions—could deliver crucial justice services. This idea sparked my passion and prompted me to pursue a PhD in law, technology, and development studies.

For the past four years, I have been living and working in Tanzania, conducting research into the justice needs of women, their advice-seeking behaviour, and how technology could empower them. My findings showed that many women face insurmountable legal challenges, because they don’t know their legal entitlements.  I founded Smart Justice, a justice technology hub, to develop innovative, tech-based solutions to these problems. Our flagship project, Dada Wakili, offers legal support to women across Tanzania and is now expanding to other regions. Smart Justice is built on the belief that everyone deserves access to justice, no matter where they live or their economic situation.

THE PROBLEM

It is estimated that 1.5 billion people worldwide (one in 5 people) have justice problems that they cannot solve. In Tanzania, this issue is more pronounced, especially for women. The country ranks 76th out of 128 in providing affordable, accessible, and effective justice (WJP, 2020) with women disproportionately affected. Discriminatory land and inheritance practices, lack of child maintenance, and unregistered births and marriages are prevalent issues. Fieldwork shows that many women are unaware of their rights and do not know how to respond to injustices they experience. Despite laws protecting women's inheritance rights, traditional practices often undermine these protections. With only 20,000 qualified lawyers in a population of 65 million, most citizens rely on paralegals and informal justice systems, which are insufficient to meet the widespread demand. This lack of access to justice leads to deprivation and poverty for women and children.

 THE SOLUTION

Smart Justice leverages technology to create affordable and accessible solutions that bridge the justice gap. Our flagship product, Dada Wakili, is a digital legal assistant that provides legal education and support through WhatsApp, a platform widely used in Tanzania. Dada Wakili is trained on a legal data set and simulates the experience of speaking with a paralegal, offering personalized and tailored support to users based on their specific legal challenges. This innovative approach ensures that women, who often face barriers to accessing traditional legal services due to cost, distance, or lack of awareness, can now receive timely legal support. By harnessing technology, Dada Wakili empowers women to understand and claim their rights, creating a pathway to justice that is both practical and scalable. Through Smart Justice’s initiatives, we aim to make legal help more accessible to those who need it most, particularly women in underserved communities.

TOP TIPS

Focus on solving real problems, learn quickly from setbacks, stay adaptable, and be relentless in chasing your vision while taking care of yourself along the way.

ALMUNI : University of Sussex