engleski

The Development of Legal Aid Systems in the Western Balkans. A Study of Controversial Reforms in Croatia and Serbia

The need to establish a fair and efficient system of legal aid is particularly important for countries in transition. In the process of EU accession, the European Union inter alia urges the candidate countries to reform their legal aid systems as a part of the rule of law criteria that were among the most critical parts of the EU accession process. The development of legal aid systems in the two largest successor states of the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia – the Republic of Croatia and Republic of Serbia, are the focus of this article. What authores intend to demonstrate is that the lack of serious commitment to the implementation of emerging “soft” standards regarding the quality of legal aid systems, both on the side of the international community and on the side of national governments, may lead to reforms that are off-target with respect to their primary objectives.

human rights standards; access to justice; legal aid systems

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