LEGAL AID

The fulfillment and protection of human rights cannot be achieved without access to efficient and high-quality legal aid. In reality, a critical proportion of the population do not have access to legal aid or such access has been significantly hampered due to poverty, low level of education, social exclusion, or discrimination. The inability to receive legal aid for the fulfillment of their individual rights under international and national legislation, entraps such individuals in a vicious circle of no escape and further exacerbates their vulnerability, marginalization and high social risk.

By upholding one of the basic principles of the legal profession that “no one should be left without legal aid due to poverty”, we are committed to high-quality legal aid. MYLA provides legal aid to the poor, victims of human rights violations and discrimination, asylum seekers, refugees, stateless persons and children. Legal aid includes the provision of legal information and legal advice, and if necessary, representation in litigation and administrative proceedings.

Free Legal Aid

Macedonian Young Lawyers Association provides free legal aid as a key activitiy. Legal aid is provided in individual cases that are directly related to the protection of human rights, the rule of law and the development of civil society.
Observed individually, legal aid is provided by MYLA in the following cases and forms:

• Preliminary legal aid in accordance with the Law on Free Legal Aid, which is intended for the poor and other vulnerable categories of citizens and includes only information, counseling, guidance and assistance in the completion of free legal aid submissions;

• Legal advice and strategic litigation in cases of violations of constitutionally guaranteed human rights and discrimination;

• Legal advice and strategic litigation in cases related to asylum, migration, integration as well as access to personal documents and citizenship and

• Legal aid to civil society organizations and informal initiatives by citizens who are not able to provide legal assistance elsewhere, and for issues related to the following: internal organization, compliance with legal provisions, and requirements for the implementation of activities and initiatives contingent on legal knowledge.

Strategic Litigation

MYLA provides legal assistance in order to protect and ensure individual rights. In addition to the protection of individual rights, we aim to prompt a wider social change, especially when tackling systemic issues that affect a larger number of people through strategic litigation. By providing legal assistance in strategic cases, we seek to establish positive case-law for the fulfillment and protection of human rights, strengthen the asylum system or indicate the need to make changes to certain regulations or activities.

MYLA continuously strengthens the capacities of its employees and associates, as well as its internal procedures and policies. The legal aid that we provide is subject to a strict system of quality control and full compliance with generally accepted principles in the provision of legal aid. In order to ensure a high level of expertise and professionalism in the provision of legal aid, MYLA calls upon a large number of lawyers from almost all regions of the country. The following two teams of lawyers particularly stand out in the provision of legal aid regarding issues related to asylum and migration:

Strategic Litigation Asylum and Statelesness Group (SLASG) – established to identify and strategically litigate cases that have the potential to change systemic practices that violate national and international standards for the protection of refugees and stateless persons. The Group consists of experienced lawyers who represent cases before the national courts and the European Court of Human Rights.

“Antenna Lawyers” Network – lawyers from different regions of Macedonia (Gevgelija, Bitola, Kavadarci, Strumica, and Kumanovo) who monitor human migration, access to the territory, and the application of the principle of non-refoulment by the state.