Bailiff Inspection Report in Tunis: Legal Value, Procedure & Fees

Direct answer: what is the value of a huissier de justice inspection report in Tunis?

In Tunisia, the inspection report drawn up by a huissier de justice (judicial officer) is an authentic instrument with maximum evidentiary force before all courts (civil, commercial, criminal or labour). The huissier de justice, a public officer under the first article of Organic Law No. 2018-9 of 30 January 2018, derives from article 13 of that law the mission of "carrying out material inspections". In the report, the huissier de justice records in a purely objective, neutral and factual manner the facts personally observed (water damage, defective workmanship, encroachment on land, job abandonment, or digital content), with photographs attached, without giving any subjective legal assessment. The statements personally recorded by the public officer are authoritative until challenged through a forgery proceeding (حجة رسمية), with articles 421 et seq. of the COC governing these authentic instruments. The report is registered with the tax revenue office to give it a certain date. To enter a third party's premises without their consent, an ex parte order from the judge is required.

The inspection assignment at a glance

1. Legal framework for inspection reports in Tunisia

• Organic Law No. 2018-9 of 30 January 2018 (article 13, 4th indent): expressly provides that the huissier de justice has the legal mission of "carrying out material inspections".
• First article of the same law: establishes the status of the huissier de justice as a public officer, guaranteeing independence and impartiality.
• Code of Obligations and Contracts (COC): articles 421 et seq. governing documentary evidence and authentic instruments drawn up by public officers in the performance of their duties.

2. Main areas of intervention in Tunis

The Office of Maître Nabil Baffoun operates throughout Greater Tunis (Tunis, Lafayette, Berges du Lac, Ariana, La Marsa, Ben Arous, Manouba) for:

1. Real estate and construction: move-in/move-out inventory reports, reports of defective construction work, reports of site abandonment by a contractor, preventive reports before work on adjoining properties.
2. Claims and insurance: water damage, water infiltration, fires, structural cracks.
3. Neighbourhood disputes: noise nuisance, encroachment on property boundaries, obstruction of a right of way.
4. Employment law: reports of an employee's job abandonment, strikes, inventory of company equipment.
5. Digital evidence and new technologies: internet inspection reports, reports of WhatsApp messages, defamation on social networks.

To learn more about digital evidence: WhatsApp messages as evidence before the Tunisian courts.

3. How an inspection assignment with the Baffoun Office proceeds

1. Initial contact and urgency assessment: You contact our office (by telephone at +216 99 442 883 or via our website). We assess the legal feasibility and territorial jurisdiction.
2. Site visit in Tunis: The huissier de justice travels to the site of the dispute, visually examines the situation, takes photographs attached to the report and carries out material checks without giving any subjective legal assessment.
3. Drafting and registration: The report is drafted in accordance with the mandatory statements required by law, registered with the tax revenue office to give it a certain date, and delivered to the applicant in original within 24 to 48 working hours.

4. Fees and charges

Inspection instruments are subject to statutory fees governed by Ministry of Justice regulations, supplemented by travel costs and hourly attendance fees depending on the material complexity of the operation. For a transparent estimate, contact the office directly. See also: Huissier de justice fees and charges in Tunisia.

5. Difference between a huissier de justice inspection report and a notarial deed (huissier notaire)

People frequently look for a notary in Tunis (often wrongly called a huissier notaire) to have material damage, a neighbourhood disturbance or defective workmanship recorded. However, under Tunisian law (Law No. 94-60), the notary has no competence to record material facts: the notary's mission is strictly limited to authenticating civil instruments and amicable agreements (sales, successions, marriages). Only the huissier de justice (Law 2018-9) is authorised to draw up an inspection report with evidentiary force in court. Find our detailed analysis in the guide on the huissier notaire in Tunisia.

Contact the Office of Maître Nabil Baffoun in Lafayette

• 📍 32 Avenue de la Liberté, Lafayette, 1002 Tunis
• 📞 +216 99 442 883
• 🌐 Discover all our inspection services