Albania   Bosnia and Herzegovina   Croatia   Kosovo   Macedonia   Montenegro   Serbia   Turkey

The first meeting of Balkans Regional Rule of Law Network (BRRLN) was held in Ohrid, Macedonia between 5th and 7th May 2014. The meeting of the Network was organised under the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), the three-year regional programme which is being implemented with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The purpose of Balkan Regional Rule of Law Network is to promote the rule of law in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia by introducing mechanisms for cooperation and the exchange of best practices, tools, and knowledge between the bar associations in the region and the civil sectors that are dealing with the judiciary. Various fields of action for the Network were defined based on extensive analyses conducted by Elizabeth Givens, Program Director of ABA ROLI, Ashley Martin, Senior Program Manager ABA ROLI and Jessie Tannenbaum, ABA ROLI Legal Analyst, and five regional coordinators of the programme.

Alongside issues related to improving citizens’ access to justice; the professionalism and independence of the legal profession, education and professional training, acquiring licenses, the relationship between lawyers and clients, and the topic of ex officio defense (defense in line of duty) were all considered important topics related to the relationship between bar associations and members of the NGO sector.

Special emphasis in the discussion between members of the bar associations and representatives of non-governmental organisations was placed on the ways in which lawyers and their professional associations can benefit from closer cooperation with civil organisations active in the field of justice in matters of common interest, especially for the provision of free legal services.

 

Having in mind the different ways in which legal aid is regulated in the countries of the region, there is plenty of room for cooperation and exchange of best practices and experiences among the members of the network. One of the conclusions of the conference was that professional associations of lawyers, regardless of whether they are voluntary organisations, formally-established authorities, or even civil society organisations themselves, can benefit from cooperating with other civic organisations in the interest of justice, in providing access to justice by offering free legal aid and advice, in advocating for changes of law, and in upholding human rights on the national and international levels.

Representatives of the Association for Democratic Initiatives Sarajevo and YUCOM had the opportunity to talk at the conference about the way in which the area of free legal aid is regulated in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and to share the experience they acquired in providing advice, information and active help during study visits to Romania, the UK and Ireland as part of the Triple A project.

 

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