the right to legal aid securing access to justice for all文档

《the right to legal aid securing access to justice for all文档》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在工程资料-天天文库。

1、TheRighttoLegalAid:SecuringAccesstoJusticeforAllMarcelaRodriguez-FarrellyINTRODUCTIONTherightofaccesstojusticeguaranteesthateverypersonhasaccesstoanindependentandimpartialcourtandtheopportunitytoreceiveafairandjusttrialwhentheperson’sfundamentalrightsatr

2、isk.Barrierstoaccesstojudicialprotectionrightscanbenumerous,includingHighCourtcosts,restrictivejurisdictionalrules,overlycomplexregulations,ineffectiveenforcementmechanisms,lackoflegalliteracy,tonameafew.Acrucialelementofaccesstojusticeistheeffectiveavail

3、abilityoftheservicesofalawyer.Forpeopleofinadequatemeanstotherighttolegalaidisanessentialcomponentinsecuringtheirrightofaccesstojustice,eitherinpursuingorindefendingacase.Incriminalcases,thelackofeffectiveprotectionoftherighttolegalaidmaypreventthosewhoca

4、nnotaffordtheserviceofalawyerfromexercisingtheirproceduralrightsandmayreducetheiropportunitytoinfluencetheoutcomeoftheproceedingswhentheirlibertyisatstake.Incivilcases,thelackofaccessiblemechanismsforresolvinglegaldisputespreventscitizensfromprotectingand

5、assertingtheircivil,economic,socialandculturalrights.Inbothcriminalandcivilcases,thelackofaccesstojusticeresultsinreducedpublicconfidenceinthelegalsystem,whichisindispensableforeverydemocraticstaterootedintheprinciplesoftheruleoflaw,humanrightsanddemocrac

6、y1.Justiceisbasedonrespectfortherightsofeveryindividual.AstheDeclarationofHumanRightshasrecognised“theinherentdignityandtheequalandinalienablerightsofallmemberofthehumanfamilyisthefoundationoffreedom,justiceandpeaceintheworld”2.Theprotectionofsuchdignitya

7、ndrightsconstitutesthecornerstoneofinternationalhumanrightslaw.Guidedbytheprinciplesofequalityandnon-discrimination,thehumanrightssystemhingesontheideathatlawisaFreeLegalAdviceCentres,Ireland.1VasselaTerzieva,“AccesstoJusticeinCentralandEasterEurope:Comp

8、arativeReport”.November2002–PublicInterestInitiative-availableatwww.pili.org2UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights1948fundamentaltoolinachievingtheseobjectives.Itisimperativethatthislegalregimebeaccessibletoall.“Asystem