Improving the access to justice for people living under the poverty line

About this project

<p><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif"><span style="color: #000000">Programme outcome the project contributes to: “Improved capacity of Bulgarian Authorities in the area of domestic and gender-based violence”.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif">The project aims at improving the access to justice for citizens of Bulgaria who live under the line of poverty. Special emphasis shall be put to three main categories of beneficiaries:</span></span> <span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif">victims of domestic and gender-based violence, children at risk and Roma communities, especially in remote and isolated rural areas.<br> <span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif"><span style="color: #000000">The project shall include, <em>inter alia</em>, the following activities:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif">Ensuring access to legal aid for vulnerable groups through development of a local cooperation mechanism in response to domestic and gender-based violence and establishment of mobile legal aid units;</span></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif">Strengthening the capacity to provide quality services to vulnerable groups across Bulgaria through raising awareness on the existence and accessibility of free legal aid.</span></span></span></span></span></li> </ul>

Bilateral cooperation results

The partnership with NCA experts had decisive contribution to the successful implementation of the project. It was in several key areas, particularly focusing on their roles as trainers in the training for legal aid lawyers, key speakers in our events and in producing a comprehensive report on access to justice in Bulgaria: Bulgarian legal aid and Roma women, which includes evaluation of the existing situation, identification of good practices and recommendations. The report was elaborated by Jon T. Johnsen, professor emeritus, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, Norway and Cathrine Moksness, Lawyer and head of the NGO Rettssenteret (Law Centre), in Oslo, Norway, helped by Bulgarian legal and equality experts. The trainers Rachel Eapen Paul, Brit Kjelleberg and Cathrine Moksness, together with their colleagues from the CoE generously shared their experience and knowledge in the field of human rights, protection against discrimination and violence and access to justice with more than 300 Bulgarian legal aid lawyers.

Project partners

• Norwegian Courts Administration Donor project partner· Norway