Strengthening the free legal aid system is key to protecting women cictims of violence in Serbia

Improving the free legal aid system in Serbia is crucial for enhancing the position of women victims of violence in the country. This was one of the key messages of the conference “Free Legal Aid in Serbia – Standards, Practice, and Measures for Improvement,” organized by the Fenomena Association and held at the European House in Belgrade.

“The EU Delegation in Serbia supports all initiatives aimed at providing free legal aid to victims of violence,” stated Plamena Hlačeva, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia. She added: “Our shared goal is to strengthen Serbia’s legal system, align it with international standards, and ensure that legal aid is accessible, comprehensive, and available to everyone.” Hlačeva emphasized that the EU, in collaboration with institutions and civil society in Serbia, addresses various aspects of gender-based violence, digital violence, as well as the position of human rights defenders.

“Our main shared goal is to ensure that all relevant stakeholders recognize recommendations concerning women victims of violence,” noted Tijana Milošević from UN Women. She added that Fenomena and UN Women jointly developed recommendations for improving regulations on free legal aid: “These recommendations cover not only victims of domestic violence but all forms of gender-based violence, including sexual harassment, stalking, and rape.”

Attorney Nevenka Kominac introduced the platform pravneinformacijezazrtvenasilja.rs, where women can seek assistance via message or chat. “Attorneys respond within a short time, usually no more than a few hours,” Kominac explained. Last year, the platform was visited by nearly 31,000 women, and attorneys provided around 100 pieces of legal advice.

According to Professor Dr. Veljko Turanjanin, amendments to the Free Legal Aid Law are necessary, as it is essential not only to expand the scope of recipients but also to broaden the circle of providers: “Under the current law, free legal aid can only be provided by local government units and attorneys,” stated Professor Turanjanin. He added that, in line with GREVIO recommendations (the independent expert body monitoring the implementation of the Istanbul Convention), it is crucial to include associations specializing in gender-based violence within the system.