Ministry of Justice: Free Legal Aid Bureaus launched in Kyiv region on September 1

WATCH IN ENGLISH

In Kyiv region there are 22 Free Legal Aid Bureaus that provide legal consultations to citizens who seek protection of their rights, mostly visitors of Bureaus are IDPs, people with disabilities and elderly citizens.

Kyiv, October 26, 2016. Free legal aid bureaus have been working in every district center of Kyiv region since September 1. Free legal aid centers opened in three towns – Bila Tserkva, Brovary and Vyshneve. This was stated by Oleksiy Shevchenko, Head of the Main Territorial Department of Justice in Kyiv Region, at a briefing held at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “Free legal aid bureaus were created in order to provide quality legal assistance to our population and so that all Ukrainian citizens, without exception, could seek protection of their rights and interests,” he said.

According to Oleksandr Poznyak, director of Kyiv Regional Free Legal Aid Center, the centers and bureaus are fully financed by the state. They are engaged in the protection of citizens from criminal charges and assistance in cases under civil and administrative jurisdiction. This direction was launched in July 2015. “Free legal aid bureaus have been established in every region. There are 22 of them in Kyiv region. They give citizens advice, explanations, help in preparing documents, and represent the interests of welfare beneficiaries in courts. The lawyers or bureau representatives are engaged in such activities,” explained Mr. Poznyak. According to him, over three quarters of 2016, the Kyiv Regional Centers provided assistance in 3,600 criminal cases, represented the interests of 560 persons in court in administrative and civil cases and processed more than 3,600 civil and administrative applications. Now they are working on identifying typical problems to simplify the process of providing assistance and to act more efficiently.

Ivan Danylenko, head of Bohuslav Free Legal Aid Center, informed that in September his office provided 60 legal consultations to citizens. Vulnerable social groups of population received free legal assistance10 times. Anna Mezhenska, head of Vyshgorod Free Legal Aid Center, added that most frequently the internally displaced persons, the elderly and people with disabilities turn to the Center.