A round table on the Law on Free Legal Aid took place in Podgorica on 12 December. The round table was organised in a close co-operation with the Ministry of Justice in the context of the public debate on proposed amendments to the Law.

The Ministry of Justice has created the working groups tasked with revising the Law on Free Legal Aid and proposing the amendments to the Government and the Parliament of Montenegro. To facilitate the full alignment of the law with relevant international and European standards, the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro” has provided expert and technical support to the working group, which is chaired by the Ministry of Justice.

The proposed amendments were presented during the round table, thus ensuring extensive consultations with the relevant stakeholders, professional and wide public. The revision of the Law is aimed at enhancing the access to justice, particularly for vulnerable groups, such as the victims of torture, domestic violence and children.

The action "Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro" is a part of the Joint European Union and Council of Europe Programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.