Legal Agenda

Legal Agenda (Arabic: المفكرة القانونية) is a non-profit research and advocacy organization headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, with offices in Lebanon and Tunisia and correspondents across several Arab countries. It was founded in December 2009 by a group of jurists, researchers and human rights activists who sought to build a critical, multidisciplinary approach to law and justice in the Arab world, with a particular focus on political, civil, social and economic rights. The organization is registered as a non-governmental, non-profit entity and is not a commercial company; it operates as a civil-society brand with a strong public profile in legal and human-rights circles. Legal Agenda's stated mission is to bridge two gaps in Arab societies: the gap separating legal studies from the social sciences and humanities, and the gap separating research from field activism. By closing these gaps, it aims to strengthen the rule of law through active participation in public policy-making, an independent judiciary, and a system that ensures institutional accountability. Its work combines research, media platforms, field activity and litigation to push for positive legal change and its fair implementation. Since 2011 the organization has published a monthly magazine bearing its name, alongside studies on its Arabic- and English-language website on the relationship between society and law. In 2014 it launched a justice observatory, the Civil Observatory for the Independence and Transparency of the Judiciary, which monitors trials, seeks to defend citizens' right to a fair trial, documents violations — especially for members of marginalized groups — and supports judges and lawyers facing pressure. In May 2024 it launched Lapoleb.com, an online parliamentary observatory that tracks and analyzes the actions of the Lebanese Parliament and each of its members, including draft laws, recently adopted laws, questions to the government, attendance records and legislative proposals. Legal Agenda is chaired by lawyer Nizar Saghieh, and researcher Samer Ghamroun is among its founders. In 2022 it filed a challenge before the State Council seeking to annul the Interior Minister's decision banning gatherings that "encourage homosexuality." In 2020 it was distinguished by the Tang Prize for the rule of law, credited with a pioneering approach and notable contribution to strengthening judicial independence through monitoring of the judicial system and drafting a bill on the independence of the judiciary. It also advocates for better protection of migrant workers, refugees, the LGBT community and families of victims of forced disappearance.

Legal Agenda was founded in December 2009 in Beirut by a group of jurists, researchers and human rights activists who joined efforts to build a critical and multidisciplinary approach to law and justice in Arab countries, with a special focus on political, civil, social and economic rights. The organization was established as a non-profit, non-governmental entity and set out to bridge two gaps: the separation of legal studies from the social sciences and humanities, and the separation between research and field activism. Its founders included researcher Samer Ghamroun, and the organization has been chaired by lawyer Nizar Saghieh. In 2011 Legal Agenda began publishing a monthly magazine bearing its name, alongside studies on its Arabic- and English-language website on the relationship between society and law. This marked its expansion from a research initiative into a public-facing media and advocacy platform. In 2014 the organization launched a justice observatory called the Civil Observatory for the Independence and Transparency of the Judiciary. The observatory monitors trials, seeks to defend citizens' right to a fair trial, documents violations of that right — particularly for members of marginalized groups — and addresses judges and lawyers to defend them against pressures exerted on them. In 2020 Legal Agenda was distinguished by the Tang Prize for the rule of law. It was credited with a pioneering approach and a notable contribution to strengthening judicial independence through monitoring of the judicial system and drafting a bill on the independence of the judiciary. The citation noted its efforts to help the population become more receptive to legal knowledge capacity-building and to sharpen public awareness of using legal means to change society. It also highlighted its work for better protection of migrant workers, refugees, the LGBT community and families of victims of forced disappearance. In 2022 the organization filed a recourse before the State Council to annul the decision of Interior Minister Bassam Maoulaoui banning gatherings that "encourage homosexuality." This legal action reflected its broader litigation strategy on civil and political rights. In May 2024 Legal Agenda launched the website Lapoleb.com, an online parliamentary observatory. The name is a contraction of "Legal Agenda parliament observatory." The site follows and analyzes the actions of the Parliament and each of its members, reporting on draft laws under examination, recently adopted laws, questions to the government posed by deputies or parliamentary groups, deputies' attendance at parliamentary sessions, and the number of legislative proposals they have submitted. It also provides analyses of certain draft laws, enabling citizens to inform themselves about the legislative activities of their representatives. As of the mid-2020s, Legal Agenda continues to operate from Beirut with offices in Lebanon and Tunisia and correspondents in several Arab countries, publishing research, magazine issues and observatory reports, and engaging in advocacy and litigation on rule-of-law and human-rights issues.

• Founded in Beirut by a group of jurists, researchers and human rights activists.

• Begins publishing a monthly magazine bearing its name and studies on its website.

• Launches the Civil Observatory for the Independence and Transparency of the Judiciary.

• Awarded the Tang Prize for the rule of law.

• Files a recourse before the State Council against the ban on gatherings that 'encourage homosexuality'.

• Launches Lapoleb.com, an online parliamentary observatory.

Non-profit legal research and advocacy organization promoting the rule of law, judicial independence and human rights in the Arab world.

• Monthly magazine

  Published since 2011, covering the relationship between society and law.

• Civil Observatory for the Independence and Transparency of the Judiciary

  Launched in 2014 to monitor trials and defend fair trial rights.

• Lapoleb.com

  Online parliamentary observatory launched in May 2024.

1. 1The Legal Agenda | المفكرة القانونيةlegal-agenda.com
2. 2من نحن | Legal Agendalegal-agenda.com
3. 3Legal Agenda - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Legal Agenda - Wikipedia (French)fr.wikipedia.org