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The Kyiv Declaration on the Right to Legal Aid

 

08.04.2007

 

              The Kyiv Declaration on the Right to Legal Aid 

     Conference on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights through

                        Provision of Legal Services

            Best Practices from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe

                               Kyiv, Ukraine

                              27-30 March 2007

   115  delegates  from  twenty-five  countries,  among  them  Government
   representatives,    legal    aid    practitioners,    academics,   and
   representatives  from  human  rights,  legal  advocacy,  and legal and
   justice  sector  reform  organisations,  met in Kyiv, Ukraine, between
   27-30  March,  2007,  to  discuss  and  identify best practices in the
   protection  and  promotion  of  human  rights through the provision of
   legal  services.  The  Kyiv Declaration on the Right to Legal Aid, set
   forth  below,  was  adopted  by  consensus  at  the  conclusion of the
   conference,   with   a  request  that  it  be  forwarded  to  national
   governments,  to  legal  aid  bodies  and  organisations,  public  and
   private,  at national level, and to relevant national and multilateral
   bodies  engaged  in developing or implementing policies and programmes
   addressing legal aid, access to justice and rule of law.

   Preamble

   Recalling   that   governments  have  the  primary  responsibility  to
   recognise and give effect to international human rights standards;

   Recognising that many governments fall short of these standards;

   Bearing   in   mind   that  access  to  justice  in  criminal,  civil,
   administrative  and  other fields of law depends on the recognition of
   and compliance with international human rights standards;

   Noting  that  in  many  countries  the  government and law enforcement
   agencies are feared and mistrusted;

   Recognising that people in the legal systems of many states are denied
   access  to justice and are ignorant about their human and legal rights
   and procedures;

   Considering  that  a  legal  aid  system  is a public good that is the
   common property of all members of society, that the promise of justice
   for  all  can  only  be  realised  when  its  rules  and operation are
   understandable  and accessible to all, and that the provision of legal
   aid is a vital element in this regard;

   Aware that the provision of legal aid will promote access to justice;

   Noting  that  legal  aid  achieves  societal  benefits  including  the
   elimination of unnecessary detention, speedy processing of cases, fair
   and  impartial  trials and dispute resolution, the reduction of prison
   populations,  the  lowering  of  appeal rates, decreased reliance on a
   range  of  social  services,  the  advancement  of social and economic
   rights, and greater social harmony;

   Understanding  that  legal  aid encompasses the provision to a person,
   group  or  community,  by  or at the instigation of state or non-state
   actors,   of   legal   information,   education,  advice,  assistance,
   representation  and  advocacy  and  mechanisms for alternative dispute
   resolution;

   Mindful of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers;

   Welcoming  the practical measures to realise access to justice through
   the provision of legal aid that have been taken in many countries;

   Respecting   governments'   need  to  ration  and  allocate  available
   resources  according  to  need,  and  that  each  country  has its own
   capabilities  and  needs  when  consideration is given to what kind of
   legal aid systems to employ;

   Noting  the  growing  incidence  of  partnerships  among  governments,
   nongovernmental  organisations,  civil society organisations, business
   corporations  and  the international community in developing legal aid
   programs;

   Observing  that  in  many  countries  there  are  not  enough lawyers,
   resources and mechanisms to provide the legal aid services required to
   ensure access to justice;

   Acknowledging  that  traditional  and  community-based alternatives to
   formal  legal processes have the potential to resolve disputes without
   acrimony,  to  restore  social  cohesion  within the community, and to
   develop self-reliance within communities;

   The  Participants of the Conference on the Protection and Promotion of
   Human  Rights  through  Provision  of  Legal Services - Best Practices
   from  Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, Kyiv, Ukraine 27-30 March 2007,
   hereby declare the importance of:

   1.  Recognising  and  supporting the right to legal aid in the justice
   system

   Legal  aid  is  a  right  and  governments  are  obliged  to implement
   sustainable, quality controlled, legal aid programs that deliver legal
   aid   services   without   discrimination   to  all  people  in  their
   jurisdictions, subject only to a transparent and reviewable assessment
   of  need,  and  with special attention to women and vulnerable groups,
   such  as indigent people, children, young people, the elderly, persons
   with  disabilities,  persons  living  with  HIV/AIDS, the mentally and
   seriously ill, asylum seekers, refugees, internally displaced persons,
   stateless  persons,  foreign  nationals,  prisoners, and other persons
   deprived of their liberty.

   2. Providing legal aid at all stages of the justice process

   A  legal  aid  program must include legal advice and assistance at all
   stages of the criminal, civil and administrative process.

   3. Sensitising all government officials

   Governments  are obliged to make public officials aware of the crucial
   role  that  legal  aid  plays  in  both ensuring access to justice and
   achieving  desirable  societal goals, and to educate and train them in
   procedures necessary to ensure that the right to legal aid is provided
   at all stages of criminal, civil and administrative proceedings.

   4. Viewing legal aid as one means of ensuring a justice system that is
   accessible and available to all

   Governments  are obliged to ensure that legal information is available
   regarding  administrative,  civil and criminal matters and to this end
   public  servants  are  obliged  to  inform and explain substantive and
   procedural aspects of legal matters to all members of the public.

   5. Cooperating with other stakeholders and the public

   Governments  should  establish  cooperative  arrangements  with a wide
   range  of  stakeholders  -  such  as  non-governmental  organisations,
   community-based  organisations, religious and non-religious charitable
   organisations,  professional  bodies  and  associations  and  academic
   institutions  -  and  ensure  effective  public  participation  in the
   formulation of legal aid policies, programs and legislation.

   6. Recognising the right to redress for violations of human rights

   Legal aid should be available to all people without discrimination who
   seek  legal redress for violation of their human rights, including for
   violations by any organ of state.

   7. Recognising the role of non-formal means of conflict resolution

   Governments  and all stakeholders should recognise the significance of
   traditional   and   community-based   alternatives   to  formal  legal
   processes,  and  should  provide  support for such mechanisms provided
   that they conform to human rights norms.

   8. Diversifying legal aid delivery systems

   Governments should consider a variety of service delivery options such
   as  government  funded  public  defender offices, judicare programmes,
   justice  centres,  law  clinics,  as  well  as partnerships with civil
   society and faith-based organisations.

   9. Diversifying legal aid service providers

   Governments  should  consider  appropriate  alternatives to the use of
   lawyers  through  the  provision  of  complementary  legal and related
   services   by   non-lawyers  such  as  lay  advocates,  law  students,
   paralegals, legal assistants, and other service providers.

   10. Encouraging pro-bono provision of legal aid by lawyers

   Support  for  and  involvement in the provision of legal aid should be
   recognised  as an important duty of the legal profession which should,
   through  the  organised  bar  and law schools, provide moral, ethical,
   professional  and  logistical  support  to  those providing legal aid,
   especially  through  pro-bono  legal  aid services. Governments should
   promote  an  enabling environment for private practitioners to provide
   pro-bono services and ensure competitive rates of remuneration.

   11. Guaranteeing sustainability of legal aid

   Governments  should make appropriate fiscal, budgetary and operational
   arrangements  for  a  sustainable legal aid program, including for the
   provision  of  a  broad  range of legal aid services, establishment of
   infrastructure,   an  independent,  cost-effective,  professional  and
   quality driven case management system, and with the ability to satisfy
   the needs of the community in the long term.

   12. Promoting legal literacy through legal education and advocacy

   Governments  should  ensure  that  human  rights  education  and legal
   literacy  programmes  are conducted in educational institutions and in
   non-formal sectors of society, particularly for vulnerable groups such
   as  children,  young people, and the urban and rural poor. Governments
   are  encouraged  to  ensure  that human rights and legal documents are
   translated  and  made  widely  available.  International  and regional
   bodies  are encouraged to make available human rights documentation in
   relevant languages.

   13.  Ensuring access to justice in programmes of assistance to justice
   systems in developing and transitional countries

   Governments  and  multilateral donors should ensure that programmes of
   assistance to justice systems in developing and transitional countries
   include  the  provision of legal aid information and other measures to
   further access to justice, particularly among the poor and vulnerable,
   in a sustainable way.

   14. Guaranteeing a secure environment for the provision of legal aid

   Governments  should  ensure  that there is an enabling environment for
   the  provision of legal aid services, including protection for lawyers
   and  all  other  service  providers  from harassment, intimidation and
   other threats to their safety and security.

   4


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15.05.2015г. распоряжением Минюста РФ СРОО "Сутяжник" включена в реестр иностранных агентов.