Description
The project aims for an increased awareness, knowledge and assertion of vulnerable populations, especially Roma, of their rights and obligations, as mandatory steps for a better access to justice, according to the European standards. The target groups, as well as the beneficiaries of the project are vulnerable groups of citizens, including Roma, who are facing bigger obstacles in accessing justice, considering their social, economic, ethnic and / or cultural circumstances, but also their age, gender, physical or mental condition. The project has a geographical approach, targeting different areas in which large number of Roma people reside. The project envisages setting up of 6 legal assistance offices, the activities of which will be popularized through a local awareness campaign within the targeted communities. Other activities are envisaged as well, such as the training of legal professionals on antidiscrimination. The role of the Donor Programme Partner (Norwegian Courts Administration and Council of Europe) in the implementation of the project is to provide expertise, sharing of best practices as well as advice on its implementation.
Summary of project results
The objective of the project was to improve access to justice for vulnerable categories, with a focus on Roma people, by providing legal assistance and by organizing related activities aiming at raising awareness on their rights and obligations. A comprehensive study was elaborated on the main difficulties faced by vulnerable groups, including the Roma population, providing recommendations to improve their access to justice. The study was distributed to institutions within the judiciary, local and central public authorities, NGOs and project partners, and it is also available on the internet 7 regional offices (in Buzău, Mureş, Dolj, Cluj, Oradea, Iaşi, Bucharest) were set up in order to provide legal assistance to vulnerable groups (762 beneficiaries), and an informative package was elaborated and distributed, tackling specific domains pertaining to access to justice of the Roma population and of other vulnerable categories in order to increase their knowledge and awareness of their rights (e.g, benefitting of free legal aid, labour rights, discrimination, state assistance for children, assistance for the disabled, definition of the vulnerable groups, family law issues, basic assistance to vulnerable groups, medical assistance, social protection, domestic violence). 7 regional workshops were organized in order to present and disseminate the content of the informative package to relevant stakeholders (234 representatives of local and central public authorities, social NGOs, courts, bars etc.). Moreover, an awareness campaign was organised locally in regions where the legal offices were set up in order to promote the relevant information on their activity and the informative package, among Roma population and other vulnerable groups, as well as to increase the awareness on civil rights and freedoms within such groups. The campaign implied the following types of activities: door-to-door activities in order to disseminate the informative package and popularise the legal assistance offices, display of roll-ups in key locations (central and local authorities, courts, probation services, penitentiaries, NGOs), press articles. 10 training sessions on improving access to justice and combating discrimination for 236 participants (legal professionals, representatives of local and central authorities, NGOs acting in the social field), and 5 anti-discrimination training activities for 139 participants (judges, prosecutors and lawyers) were also carried out.
Summary of bilateral results
As envisaged, the framework offered by the project represented a premise and an opportunity for ensuring the transfer by the donor project partners of knowledge, experience and best practice adapted to the peculiarities of the Romanian justice system, and for the shared achievement of the project's results. The project envisaged the involvement of the experts appointed by the donor project partners, and thus specific activities were carried out in cooperation with them (e.g., the elaboration of the study on the access to justice of vulnerable groups and of the informative package). Furthermore, there were organised steering committees with the participation of the project promoters and of the donor project partners, in Bucharest, Oslo/ Trondheim and Strasbourg. The meetings tackled specific issues concerning the organisation and implementation of the project, including its continuation and use of savings, bilateral relations, and other administrative issues. Thus, the partnership contributed to achieving one of the major overall objective of the MFN 2009-2014, strengthening the bilateral relations between Norway as donor state and Romania as beneficiary country in the judiciary field.