Reform of the Legal Aid system in Montenegro: creating an effective and affordable legal aid system

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Reform of the Legal Aid system in Montenegro
creating an effective and affordable legal aid
system

• Project Presentation
• Jelena Djonovic, UNDP Programme Manager, Judicial
  Reform Programme
• January 29, 2009 - Podgorica
• 
  
  Project supported by

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UNDP Judicial Reform ProgrammeImplementation of
three projects

• Strengthening the capacities of the judiciary in
  Montenegro to fight corruption and organised
  crime
• Strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of
  Justice in Montenegro.
• Reform of the legal aid system in Montenegro
  creating an effective and sustainable system of
  providing legal aid

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UNDP Judicial Reform ProgrammeStrengthening the
capacities of the judiciary in Montenegro to
fight corruption and organised crime

• Project components
• Support to the Ministry of Justice in its
  legislative efforts
• Support to training the judiciary
• IT support

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UNDP Judicial Reform Programme Strengthening
the capacities of the Ministry of Justice in
Montenegro

• Project components
• Improvement of the structural setup of the
  Ministry of Justice
• Strengthening management skills of the staff in
  the Ministry of Justice
• Raising understanding of European integration and
  of international legal assistance/co-operation
  processes
• Modernization of information technology
  infrastructure
• Building the capacity of the Ministry to
  effectively create and maintain public relations

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UNDP Judicial Reform Programme Reform of the
legal aid system in Montenegro creating an
effective and sustainable system of providing
legal aid

• Project components
• Drafting a law on Legal Aid
• Public consultation round on the draft law
• Adoption of the law on legal aid
• Development of the infrastructure to implement
  the law
• Training of staff providing legal aid under the
  law
• Public awareness and information campaign.

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Ministry of Justice UNDP Legal Aid Project

• In cooperation with
• Montenegrin judiciary/Supreme Court
• Bar Association of Montenegro
• OSCE
• Foundation Open Society Montenegro (FOSI)
• UNHCR
• Council of Europe
• Current established providers of legal aid.

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Ministry of Justice UNDP Legal Aid Project

• Currently in progress
• Working group to draft the law established
• Consisting of representatives of Judiciary, Bar
  Association, Ministry of Justice, etc.
• Expected timeline next 4 months drafting of the
  law, including local and regional expert input
• Goal comprehensive legal framework for the
  provision of legal aid
• Core elements of the law drafting process
• Building on regional best practices
• In accordance with the action plan for the reform
  of the judiciary in Montenegro
• 3. Applicability with EU accession strategy
  by building in EU standards

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Ministry of Justice UNDP Legal Aid Project

• Future activities of the project
• Public consultation round about the draft law
• stakeholders and beneficiaries involvement
• building of national ownership from the start
• Adoption of the law on legal aid
• Infrastructural development
• implementation of the law
• usage of existing framework
• training of all providers of legal aid under the
  law
• Public awareness and information campaign
• outreach to all potential beneficiaries
• outreach to legal professionals

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Ministry of Justice UNDP Legal Aid Project

• Project aims
• 1. links with other projects in judicial
  reform/human rights area
• 2. creating of synergies by assuring donor
  cooperation
• 3. build in quality control of the provided legal
  aid
• 4. possibly link with mediation infrastructure in
  the country
• 5. specific linked with UNDP policy on gender
• 6. specific linked with UNDP Legal empowerment
  of the Poor Program
• 7. building on what is there
• 8. building on what is appropriate for the
  country.
• Timeline until February 2010 initially.

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Ministry of Justice UNDP Legal Aid Project

• Final project objectives
• A law that is consistent with international
  standards (EU/UN)
• A legal aid network that will serve the needs of
  the clients (including special needs groups)
• A system that will thus improve access to justice
  for all
• Contributing to the countrys strategic goals of
  democratic consolidation and EU accession.