How should courts and Legal Aid Service define complexity and importance of civil and administrative cases when a decision is to be made whether to render advocacy service to an insolvent person or not – this was a main topic of the discussion between judges, public lawyers, Legal Aid Council and Legal Aid Service, as well as representatives of international organizations, held in Tbilisi, in the hotel Courtyard Marriott, supported by the German Society for International Cooperation – GIZ.
The discussion is related with a new obligation of the state, according to which, from April 15, 2015, legal aid will be provided for insolvent persons on certain categories of civil and administrative cases. Until now, the state has provided free advocacy service only on criminal cases.
According to the recently adopted legislative amendments, Legal Aid Service, as well as judges, will be able to make decision on rendering legal aid service to an insolvent person. While making a decision, it will be necessary to take into consideration not only social background of a person, but complexity and importance of a case too. Today’s meeting was dedicated to the criteria for determination of complexity and importance of a case.
At the beginning, rendering legal aid for insolvent persons will be provided on the following types of cases of civil and administrative law:
- Family disputes (marriage, divorce, alimony, etc.);
- Inheritance disputes;
- Social allowance and pension;
- Rights of IDPs;
- Healthcare and rights of patients;
- Social allowance of families of veterans and those dead in war hostilities;
- Rights of victims of political repressions;
- Social rights of persons with disabilities.