October 12, 2026
Conclusion of the “Lebanon Justice Hackathon 2026”: Technical innovations to modernize the judiciary and facilitate citizens’ access to their rights
The “Lebanon Justice Hackathon 2026”, organized by The Hague Institute for Legal Innovation (HiiL) under the auspices of the Lebanese Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the Beirut Bar Association and the local partner “Berytech”, and with the support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concluded in Beirut. The event aims to develop the justice sector and facilitate citizens’ access to their rights, as part of a long-term program to modernize legal services and promote human-centered justice.
The event, which ended yesterday, Sunday, October 11, brought together 16 teams that included 64 participants from the fields of law, technology, artificial intelligence, design, entrepreneurship, research and public service. Over two days, the participants worked on a realistic challenge identified in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, which requires finding solutions that enable citizens to follow up on their files and know their stages and required procedures, which reduces repetitive inquiries and reduces pressure on court clerks, especially in light of the lack of complete mechanization of the courts.
The hackathon was opened with speeches delivered by Roger El Khoury, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programs at The Hague Institute for Legal Innovation, Maroun Chammas, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Berytech, and Minister of Justice Adel Nassar, in addition to speeches by the President of the Beirut Bar Association, Imad Martinus, and Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Lebanon, Marika Verda, where the speeches stressed the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors and experts to develop practical solutions that enhance justice in Lebanon.
In his speech, Minister Adel Nassar praised the Dutch continued support for the justice sector, stressing the importance of integrating technology with justice to expand access to legal services, especially for groups facing financial difficulties. He pointed to the gap between theoretical equality and practical reality, stressing the state’s responsibility to spread the legal culture. He also warned against ignoring the human dimension in judicial work, stressing that artificial intelligence should support human work, not replace it.
The teams presented their projects before a jury that included experts and specialists, where the solutions were evaluated based on their understanding of users’ needs, their feasibility of implementation, and their respect for legal controls. The “Access to Digital Law” team won first place for the “Guide” project, which helps citizens know the required documents and fees, and allows them to receive updates via SMS. The “LexDarb961” team came in second place for an application that provides document guidance, transaction tracking, a section for lawyers, and a smart voice assistant. The third place went to the “Nobel Lex” team for the “Your Guide to Civil Courts” project to provide procedural information through the Ministry of Justice website.
The winning teams received financial prizes worth a total of 9,000 euros (5,000 euros for first place, 3,000 euros for second place, and 1,000 euros for third place). This hackathon comes within a 5-year program implemented by The Hague Institute for Legal Innovation in Lebanon with Dutch support, amid the organizers’ emphasis on continuing to work with local partners to modernize the justice sector and respond to the needs of citizens.
