Improving Access to Justice for Rural Population

Donor: the European Community
Partners: Civil Society Institute
Timeframe: January 2006 – January 2009
Project budget: 4 232 835 UAH
Project Area:

• Bar district, Vinnytsia oblast;
• Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa oblast;
• Kolomiya district, Ivano-Frankivsk oblast
• Rozhysche district, Volyn oblast

Project Objectives: to improve access to justice for rural population by:

• educating rural population in four pilot regions of how to solve civil and public conflict situations judicially;
• providing appropriate legal organizational conditions for courts of arbitration and magistracy institute building and work in rural districts selected.

Project Results:

• 3 bills on alteration to current legislation have been worked out and submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. These bills refer to citizens' access to legal mechanisms of public and civil disputes settlement on the basis of current legislation analysis and round-table discussions results;
• 44 trainings for NGO representatives and community activists have been conducted: these trainings were devoted to procedures of judicial and non-judicial civil and public disputes settlement; there were seminars devoted to courts of arbitration and magistracy institutions problems conducted for local authorities representatives, non-governmental organizations, village councils heads, and other officials. Trainings have involved 672 people;
• 12 information campaigns about legal mechanisms of citizens rights defense have been conducted in rural districts selected;
• 4 consulting centers have been created to provide assistance for village communities; nearly 2500 citizens have received support and legal assistance;
• 3 information handbooks have been published for citizens and officials.

Products:

• Pocket manual “How to Protect your Rights at the Court?”
• Manual “Courts of Arbitration in Ukraine”
• Manual “Magistracy and community magistrates in Ukraine”
• Results report