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Description
Programme outcome the project contributes to: “Improved capacity of Bulgarian Authorities in the area of domestic and gender-based violence”.
The project aims at improving the access to justice for citizens of Bulgaria who live under the line of poverty. Special emphasis shall be put to three main categories of beneficiaries: victims of domestic and gender-based violence, children at risk and Roma communities, especially in remote and isolated rural areas.The project shall include, inter alia, the following activities:
- Ensuring access to legal aid for vulnerable groups through development of a local cooperation mechanism in response to domestic and gender-based violence and establishment of mobile legal aid units;
- Strengthening the capacity to provide quality services to vulnerable groups across Bulgaria through raising awareness on the existence and accessibility of free legal aid.
Summary of project results
This project aimed to improve the legal aid system in a way that permits more people from vulnerable group to access it. Another objective was to strengthen the role of the state in the field of domestic violence as part of fulfilling its obligations to secure open and equal access to justice for people whose basic human rights have been violated. The focus group consists of the following:
- victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence;
- children at risk;
- representatives of the Roma community, incl. living in remote and isolated rural areas
The policy makers recognised the success of the local coordination mechanisms for countering DGBV under the pre-defined project, and this instrument was constituted at national level by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation and Partnership between the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Interior, the Director of the National Legal Aid Bureau and chairs of regional bar associations.
The project significantly expanded the access to justice for vulnerable citizens in the three target regions of Bulgaria. Seven teams of Roma mediators and lawyers have provided more than 7 000 legal consultations. Around 80% of the advice provided was mobile, in remote locations or neighbourhoods, and the remaining in the regional pilot centres. More than 600 victims of DGBV have received legal aid support.
More than 300 lawyers from local bar associations have been trained on JUSTROM methodology (Council of Europe and DG Justice of the EC).
The project team has organised a number of information session in universities, schools and in a municipality crisis center.
Pilot coordination mechanisms for counteracting the DGBV have been established and are operational in the three regions. Their effective functioning triggered the conclusion in March 2023 of a Memorandum of Cooperation and Partnership between the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Interior, the director of the National Legal Aid Bureau and chairs of regional bar associations. As stated in the preamble of the Memorandum, the parties recognise and base on the successful operation of the pilot coordination mechanisms under the project.
In December 2023, another product of the project was put into operation, the ‘Help Me’ mobile application. It enables the victims of DGBV to get quick and easy information about the institutions close to them that they can turn to for help and the steps they need to take to protect their rights. They can send an email with one click or dial the numbers from the app. There is no obstacle that a relative, a friend or even a teacher of the victim also uses the app. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
More than 5000 members of vulnerable groups receiving primary legal aid including victims of domestic and gender-based violence, children at risk and representatives of ethnic minorities;
More than 100 articles about the project were published in the press: legal aid, the work of the project and the activities of the NLAB, protection against domestic and gender-based violence;
7 legal aid mobile teams of lawyers and Roma mediators are created reaching out to small and remote localities. The 6 Roma mediators will continue working with NLAB and Bar associations after the completion of the project;
More than 250 domestic and gender-based violence cases were reported to the court and police. The number of cases filed by members of vulnerable groups incl. victims of domestic and gender-based violence, children at risk and representatives of ethnic minorities was increased so people had effective access to justice;
More than 300 lawyers were trained on the prevention of discrimination, combating stereotypes and prejudices and supporting victims of domestic and gender-based violence by CoE and NCA experts;
14 Bulgarian experts participated in 1 study visit to Norway, having the chance to see how institutions work, to meet colleagues, to share good practices and to gain inspiration for their future work with victims of violence and securing access to justice to the most vulnerable people in the society;
A large-scale awareness raising campaign, reaching more than 20000 people was held, informing the general public about the existence, scope and opportunities within the legal aid system, about the protection against discrimination and violence and about the project and the contribution of the NFM;
Another significant achievements of the project was the creation of coordination mechanisms for the protection of victims of domestic and gender-based violence in Bulgaria, incl. staff at the MoI, MLSP, municipalities, court, Bar, civil society and others;
More than 100 specialists were informed about the opportunities within the legal aid system in particular about protection against domestic and gender-based violence;
500 pupils, students, teachers and educators were informed during info sessions/presentations in the three pilot districts.
Summary of bilateral results
The partnership with NCA experts had decisive contribution to the successful implementation of the project. It was in several key areas, particularly focusing on their roles as trainers in the training for legal aid lawyers, key speakers in our events and in producing a comprehensive report on access to justice in Bulgaria: Bulgarian legal aid and Roma women, which includes evaluation of the existing situation, identification of good practices and recommendations. The report was elaborated by Jon T. Johnsen, professor emeritus, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, Norway and Cathrine Moksness, Lawyer and head of the NGO Rettssenteret (Law Centre), in Oslo, Norway, helped by Bulgarian legal and equality experts. The trainers Rachel Eapen Paul, Brit Kjelleberg and Cathrine Moksness, together with their colleagues from the CoE generously shared their experience and knowledge in the field of human rights, protection against discrimination and violence and access to justice with more than 300 Bulgarian legal aid lawyers.