Public Discussion on the Draft Law on Free Legal Assistance Held



Ministry of Justice of BiH organized today public discussion on the Draft Law on Free Legal Assistance. The law defines basic principles of the free legal assistance, according to which law-income and indigent people have equal right to the assistance of the state, Entities and other competent bodies, in court and other proceedings. Minister of Justice of BiH, Mr. Barisa Colak, has expressed the expectation that the draft law, which provides legal assistance to the most indigent people, will be adopted in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, after the third attempt.

Law that regulates the area of free legal assistance has been so far adopted at the level of Republika Srpska, Brčko District BiH and four Cantons in the Federation, while this area has not been regulated at the state level and at the level of Federation of BiH. Minister Colak has pointed out that Law on Free Legal Assistance at the state level govern the minimum standards, ensuring that citizens can be equal and preventing discrimination arising from the deficiencies of the existing legal framework. "When it comes to the representation, attorneys would be the ones who would provide assistance as before. However, in the Ministry of Justice of BiH would be the other type of free legal assistance before the bodies at the state level", said the Minister Colak.

Creating of the functional system in the area of providing free legal assistance in criminal, civil and administrative proceedings at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is one of the strategic objectives of BiH Justice Sector Reform Strategy. As a member country of the Council of Europe and as a potential candidate country for the accession to the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina is obliged to ensure equal treatment of all citizens in this area.