The Parliament of Georgia started hearing of the 2016 activity report of Legal Aid Service.
On March 13, the first committee hearing was held at the session of Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee. The director of Legal Aid Service, Meliton Benidze introduced to the MPs reforms made in the legal aid field last year and the statistics of the rendered services.
Meliton Benidze made focus on the legislative amendments as a result of which the scale of free legal aid was expanded and covered various fields of civil and administrative law. Besides, with the aim to increase accessibility to the services, in 2016, a new legal aid office was set up in Sighnaghi.
The Service actively works on elaboration of legal aid quality monitoring system, professional development of the public lawyers, as well as increase of the public awareness. The European Union, UNDP, USAID and others support the organization in implementation of the above-mentioned activities.
Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee approved the report.
In the framework of the parliamentary discussion, one more hearing is planned at the Committee of Legal Issues. After it, Meliton Benidze represents the activity report at the plenary session of the Parliament.
Legal Aid Service is an independent organization and is accountable only before the Parliament of Georgia. The legislative body annually hears the activity report of Legal Aid Service at Spring session.