The United Nations Commission for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice has unanimously adopted a resolution for the groundbreaking UN Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems. The principles and guidelines are the first international instrument on legal aid.
- Prompt access to legal aid at all stages of the criminal justice process and a right to be informed about a right to legal aid and other procedural safeguards before any questioning and deprivation of liberty;
- The involvement of a diversity of legal aid providers including lawyers, CSOs, university legal clinicians and paralegals; and
- The development of a nationwide legal aid system that is sufficiently staffed and resourced to ensure effective and quality legal aid services delivery.
Read more of Namati’s analysis on the principles and guidelines here.
