Free Legal Aid Now Available by Phone for Georgian Citizens
Citizens of Georgia can now get free legal advice and consultation by simply calling the number: (032) 2920055. Legal Aid Service, a state organization that provides free legal services, opened a new call center this Monday, June 25.
The call center, including its technical equipment and staff training, has been supported by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under their larger-scale initiative to increase access to justice in Georgia.
The call center was developed in response to increased demand for legal services by citizens. 2017-2018 amendments to Georgian legislation have considerably expanded the Legal Aid Service mandate, increasing public access to legal assistance and broadening the scope of services provided to cases related to labor, real estate disputes, and gender-based and domestic violence. The Legal Aid Service assists over 30,000 people each year.
With the new call center, the Legal Aid Service will better adhere to its core principle and offer timely and effective assistance to those who need it most – vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Any citizen, despite their financial or social status, is free to seek legal advice by phone. Other services from the Legal Aid Service, such as a lawyer and representation before the court are available only for those belonging to vulnerable/disadvantaged populations.
The Legal Aid Service call center employs four qualified consultants working as phone operators, trained specifically for the position.
Legal Aid Service is a state organization which provides free legal assistance for socially vulnerable citizens who would not be able to pay for attorney’s services otherwise. Today it covers almost the whole country through its two legal aid bureaus and seven consultation centers.
The Service has provided over 170,000 in person, online, and phone consultations since its establishment in 2007. The staff renders 60% of its distance services by phone and the rest through online platforms (Facebook, Skype, email). Quick answers are also available in an online chat at website: www.legalaid.ge and Facebook page: www.facebook/legalaid.ge
The European Union (EU) and UNDP have been working with the Legal Aid Service since its establishment. In recent years, this comprehensive assistance marked the structural reform of the Service to introduce up-to-date management tools, develop a case bank, redesign the public website, now adapted for people with disabilities, open a new administrative building in Tbilisi, and provide a series of trainings for lawyers and consultants.
The comprehensive EU4Justice Program, with a current EU budget allocation of EUR 50 million, is a cooperation framework between Georgia and the European Union in the justice sector that includes cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, prosecutorial, judiciary and penitentiary institutions.
The Legal Aid Service provides services such as:
- Free legal counseling on any legal issues;
- Compiling legal documents (filing applications, mediations etc);
- Services of attorney free of charge during criminal proceedings for the accused, convict and acquitted
- Service of the attorney on cases involving non-consensual psychiatric treatment;
- Services of the attorney for such administrative offenses which may entail arrest;
- Service of the attorney for those accused and convicts subjected to disciplinary proceedings in penitentiary institutions;
- Service of the attorney free of charge on specific cases of civil and administrative laws;
- Representation in administrative bodies. Insolvency
For more information, see the Legal Aid Service website.
By Samantha Guthrie
Photo: legalaid.ge