Conference on Legal Aid Reform in Lithuania

Vilnius, April 22, 2004.

Lithuania is about to embark on full reform of its legal aid system, following successful experimenting in recent years with a new “public defender” model. The country, which joins the European Union on May 1, has been testing out public defender offices for delivering criminal legal aid for two years. It is the first of the EU accession countries to have created a salaried basis for legal aid lawyers. Reforms began in 2000, with the introduction of a new law on legal aid delivery. Though progressive, however, the law proved difficult to implement. The two pilot public defender offices, in Siauliai and Vilnius, demonstrated that problems were systemic and that a more comprehensive overhaul was needed.

The Lithuanian reforms will be the subject of an international meeting in Vilnius on April 22, to be attended by Members of Parliament, professional lawyers, and nongovernmental experts.

A draft law to implement the reforms provides for two major innovations to the system: a new national Legal Aid Coordination Council and the institutionalization of public defender offices countrywide as the main providers of legal aid alongside private lawyers. The creation of a special institution for the overall management and coordination of legal aid is a regional first, and an indication of the Lithuanian Government’s strong commitment to making access to justice real. The main reforms, which were endorsed by the Lithuanian Parliament this spring, were presented and discussed. Experts from countries with well-established and functional legal aid systems served as an example for drafting the new Lithuanian system.

The event, organized by the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice, the Parliamentary Law Committee and the Open Society Justice Initiative, will be an occasion to discuss future improvements to the legal aid system. Foreign experts too will speak about other European efforts and solutions in seeking competent legal representation for the poor.

Click here for the Agenda of the Conference