The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) is delighted to announce the seven Southern Africa semi-finalists for its annual HiiL Justice Accelerator (HJA).

The HJA is an international business acceleration programme designed to help startups in the field of legal and justice innovation. Through the Justice Accelerator, HiiL seeks out and supports companies and individuals who are turning the tools of technology onto the challenges of access to justice around the world.

The seven organisations selected for this year’s semi-finals will pitch for a R75 000 prize at the Innovating Justice Boostcamp Johannesburg, which takes place at OPEN Maboneng on 13 October. Up to two startups will also be selected to receive up to R300 000 as part of the HJA’s full accelerator track.

“We were overwhelmed by the sheer number and quality of applications we received as a result of our Call for Innovations in Southern Africa this year,” says Justice Accelerator head Wilfried de Wever, “And drawing up a shortlist was tough. But we wish all of our semi-finalists the best of luck and hope to expand our programme in the region to support more organisations on a local level next year.”

The semi-finalists are:

• Environmental Justice Reporting App (Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association) (Zimbabwe) - The know, monitor and report mobile app on environmental rights in Zimbabwe

• Mobile Corruption Reporting App (Transparency International: Zimbabwe) (Zimbabwe) - A mobile application which will provide citizens especially the youth with a platform to report cases of corruption anonymously

• Road Rules (Zimbabwe) A mobile app that is revolutionizing the way people acquire driver's licenses and help motorists fight traffic police corruption  in Zimbabwe

• Lady Liberty (South Africa) - A 'first in South Africa' mobile legal office, taking law to marginalised women by traveling to poor remote areas & virtually by using mobile technology

• NuvaLaw SME (South Africa) - NuvaLaw is a LegalTech startup that resolves claims and disputes by processing legal information efficiently

• Comic Contracts (South Africa) - Creating legally binding visual contracts for vulnerable people to reduce contract inequality, improve understanding and align mutual expectations

• MoLLy (South Africa) - MoLLy is mobile artificial intelligence, which aggregates and organises existing legal knowledge onto devices and serves as a legal library/resource

Semi-finalists will be available for interview ahead of the event, which is open to the public. Free tickets can be reserved at https://boostcampjohannesburg2017.eventbrite.co.uk.

For more information please contact Adam Oxford, details below.