Access to legal aid is key to ensuring access to justice. People experiencing poverty are disproportionately represented in criminal justice systems around the EU, and one of the key hurdles to an effective defence is the cost.
States must provide legal assistance free of charge or at a reduced cost, depending on the person’s financial resources. But despite its importance, legal aid is underfunded in the EU.
This video was developed as part of the EU project ´From law to practice: Strengthening procedural rights in police custody (ProRPC)’ led by the LBI-GMR, in cooperation with APADOR-CH, Fair Trials, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and Rights International Spain. You can read a factsheet on this topic by Rights International Spain here.
