On 16 March, in the hotel, Sheraton Metekhi Palace, the Council of Europe Office in Georgia launched the project “Enhanced Access to Legal Aid Services for Marginalized Population” to support legal aid providers in Georgia to increase the effectiveness, promptness, and accessibility of legal aid throughout the country, especially in regions and among minority populated areas.
The project was opened by Ms. Natalia Voutova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Heads of the project’s main beneficiaries - Mr. Razhden Kuprashvili, Director of the Legal Aid Service, and Mr David Asatiani, Chairperson of the Georgian Bar Association addressed the assembled community.
Throughout the 2-year lifespan, the project will support the Legal Aid Service of Georgia (LAS) to reform its legislative and statutory framework bringing it in compliance with the European standards. It will increase the institutional capacity of LAS to help it comply with its expanded mandate by developing new capabilities and new training modules for the recently created LAS Training Centre. The project will work with legal aid providers to increase awareness of available services in the country, including in rural and minority populated areas.