On 17 September 2024 the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia adopted the amendments to the Law on Free Legal Aid (FLA) to offer a better alignment with the Law on Expertise. These changes accomodate all of the Council of Europe recommendations produced under the FLA action, and are expected to resolve the backlog and ensure access to justice to the citizens.
These amendments were necessary and urgent as following the adoption of the Law on Expertise in 2023, the Bureau for Court Expertise stopped conducting expert opinions and many free legal aid cases became stalled in the courts. The amendments now clearly define the subjects authorised to perform expert examination in cases for which free legal aid is approved as well as the method of their selection/appointment. Additionally, they regulate the following procedures:
- making an expert finding and opinion;
- giving testimony before the court in the context of free legal aid ;
- payment of the award and costs of the expert witness.
The action “Towards a consolidated and more efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) system in North Macedonia” will continue to provide assistance to the public authorities and local stakeholders in ensuring efficient, accessible, and professional provision of Free Legal Aid services in North Macedonia, in line with European standards and best practices. The action will also support the Ministry of Justice during the second phase of amendments to the Law on Free Legal Aid planned in the upcoming period. This action is part of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, a joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe implemented by the Council of Europe.
