1. Development of Legal Aid Quality Management System: Ukrainian Experience
23 November, 2017
Vilnius
“Enhancing the Quality of Legal Aid: General Standards for Different Countries” Conference
Oleksii BONIUK
Acting Director of Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision

2. UKRAINIAN LEGAL AID SYSTEM: KEY STEPS OF INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2011
Legal Aid Law adopted
Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision established
27 Regional legal Aid Centres launched
100 Local Legal Aid Centres launched
432 Legal Aid Bureaus launched in small towns and rural areas
2012
01.01.
2013
criminal legal aid
+ civil and administrative legal aid
+ primary legal aid
+ legal empowerment and legal enlightment
01.07.
2015
01.09.
2016
2017

3. SNAPSHOT OF THE LEGAL AID SYSTEM
>5 000 lawyers contracted by legal aid centres “ex officio”
>1 600
jurists employed by legal aid centres
> 550
access points
to legal aid
>
clients per year
>
citizens eligible for secondary legal aid

4. QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OVERVIEW

5. 8 9th CONTEST FOR LAWYERS contests contest (in 2012-2015)
(just started)
From to
knowledge knowledge giving and
checking motivation assessment
written test on-line course
on procedural legislation “Introduction to the
an Legal Aid Law Legal Aid System”

6. “Cascade” trainings model
Central Trainings for trainers
Trainers conduct trainings in each region
Guidelines, manuals on each topic
“Cascade” trainings model
Network of lawyers-trainers 9 circles of trainings (about 50) conducted
From
procedural aspects
of the Code
of Criminal Procedure to
legal aid provision peculiarities
to targeted vulnerable groups
(e.g., internally displaced persons or people with disabilities)
and soft skills

7. QUALITY STANDARDS IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS15 14
reference on
Ukrainian procedural legislation
Ukrainian judicial practice
European Convention on Human Rights
ECHR decisions
reference on information sources
to check the compliance with each standard
common standards
standards for each stage of criminal proceeding
pre-trial
1st instance court
appeal
cassation

8. MONITORING OF QUALITY STANDARDS
Main instruments:
observation in court
interviewing of lawyers
interviewing of clients
best practices identification 25
quality managers:
Informing of directors of regional centres and Coordination Centre on the results 1
in each region
Application to Commissions of Legal Aid Quality, Completeness and Timeliness Assessment (if violations)

9. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
Method of Remuneration approved by the Cabinet of Ministers
acquittal
minimal or less sanction than provided by law
case closure
easing / cancellation of custody as a restrictive measure
release from serving punishment with a probation period
…and others

10. NEXT STEPS 1) Public Defender Offices model piloting (01-06/2018)
tutoring
lawyer’s file revision (if agreed by a client)
2) Legal Aid Communication Platforms
(to be launched by the end of 2017 in 5 largest cities of Ukraine)
best practices collection and dissemination
trainings and HR capacity development
3) Standards in civil / administrative cases introduction
(already development, to be implemented in 2018)
4) Standards for primary legal aid development
5) Doubled remuneration for lawyers for legal aid cases (since )

11. Thank you for your attention!