Sam Muller

The Importance of Bringing Differences Together

‘My upbringing in Liberia, Kenya and The Netherlands has contributed to my drive to get the best results by bringing differences together: different legal and political systems, high and low-income environments, academia and practice, and across disciplines and cultures.’ Says Sam Muller, who founded HiiL, an organization that strives for improvement of justice systems. HiiL’s fundamental idea is that everyone who faces a conflict or crime should have access to legal support that is effective, safe, understandable, affordable and perhaps most importantly, available when it’s needed. It’s mission: to enable 150 million people to prevent or resolve their most pressing justice problems by 2030.  

As CEO of HiiL Muller led the team that set up the Wildlife Justice Commission and was its founding executive director. He also led the setting up of the Justice Leadership Group. Before his work at HiiL he was closely involved in setting up the International Criminal Court and worked for the Yugoslav Tribunal, the UN refugee agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), and Leiden University. Muller: ‘I am both perplexed why change in the justice sector is so tough and deeply convinced that justice systems can offer much more value than they do now.’