On November 7, EWMI/PROLoG organized a workshop for the Legal Aid Service (LAS) Council to discuss draft amendments to the Law on Legal Aid Service with EWMI/PROLoG experts Professors Avrom Sherr and Alan Paterson.
The main topics discussed and agreed upon at the workshop were: the procedures for the appointment of members to the Legal Aid Council; the main qualities and attributes of the members nominated by the Georgian Bar Association (GBA), whether the GBA nominee should have experience working on human rights issues or on legal aid; limiting the term of Council members to three years; introducing staggered terms for the nominees of GBA and the Public Defender; and allowing the LAS lawyer to be appointed for a one-year term twice in a row.
It was agreed to have a roundtable discussion on the final proposed amendments to the Law on Legal Aid Service with the GBA and Public Defender’s Office and, after all groups agree on the text of the amendments, draft an explanatory note and organize a workshop with the Legal Committee of the Parliament.