MDTF JSS, in cooperation with the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights - YUCOM, is putting efforts to improve access to justice in Serbia. Several actions are envisaged during 2018: Right to exemption from court fees, Interactive Map of Free Legal Aid Services and Access to justice of vulnerable groups. These themes are selected as representative examples where simple tools like guides or analyses can make a huge improvement of their positions in accessing to the justice.
The right to legal assistance is one of the main instruments for the realization of the right to access to justice and the right to a fair trial, which are needed in a democratic society and which are prerequisites for all countries joining the EU. In democratic societies the possibility of effective protection from human rights violations is the basic condition for the exercise the rule of law.
In Serbia, even though article 67 of the Constitution proclaims that everyone is entitled to the right to legal representation under conditions to be laid down by law, the Law on Free Legal Aid has not yet been adopted, and there is no legal aid for people whose human rights have been violated. According to the European Commission Report of 2016 on Serbia, Serbia should adopt a new law on free legal aid.
Considering absence of the Law on Free Legal Aid, the MDTF JSS and YUCOM are preparing specific web platform where citizens will find all free legal aid providers in Serbia. Currently, the team is finalizing collection of information from CSO and institutions all over the Serbia to summarize services that they are providing. The draft version of interactive map is already prepared and launch of the final map will be promoted on the media and social networks.
Draft version of interactive map of free legal aid providers