The European Public Law Organization (EPLO) participated in a Team Europe Formulation Mission to Timor-Leste from 9–13 March 2026, to support the development of the upcoming EU-funded project ‘E-Governance for the Judicial System in Timor-Leste’ (E-JUS TL).
This initiative aims to improve access to justice in support of sustainable social and economic development in Timor-Leste, by advancing digital transformation and e-governance across the country’s justice system.
Working in a Team Europe approach, the mission included representatives from the EU Delegation and Portuguese Embassy in Dili, the Portuguese international cooperation agency Camões, and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). EPLO’s Director of Programs Andrea De Maio and Prof. Monica Palmirani of the University of Bologna joined the mission at the invitation of AICS.
Over the course of the week the delegation engaged with senior government and judicial officials (including the Minister of Justice, the Prosecutor General, the Public Defender, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Prime Minister's Office Working Group for Justice Sector Reform, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, the Scientific Police for Criminal Investigation and the National Police of Timor-Leste, the Legal and Judicial Training Centre, and the Timor Information and Communication Technology Agency), as well as civil society representatives (Alfela, Judicial System Monitoring Programme, La’o Hamutuk, NGO Forum of Timor-Leste) and other stakeholders.
These consultations provided the Team Europe delegation with critical insights into national priorities and opportunities for strengthening service delivery in the justice sector.
The E-JUS TL project is expected to launch in early 2027 with a four-year implementation period, marking an important step toward a more accessible, efficient, and modern justice system in Timor-Leste.
