Office for Free Legal Aid for Drug Users

The Centre for Monitoring and Research started the implementation of the project “Office for Free Legal Aid for Drug Users” in January 2012, which is supported by the Commission for the Allocation of Revenue from Games of Chance in 2011. In order to exercise the right for a fair trial to every person, who according to his/her financial situation is not able to exercise the right to judicial protection without damage to necessary support of themselves and their families, free legal aid is provided for them, in accordance with the Law on Free Legal Aid, which was put into force in January 2012.

Exercising the right to free legal aid in accordance with the Law on Free Legal Aid, does not restrict the right of legal aid by the services, NGOs and other organizations that have been formed in accordance with the Law and in this respect CeMI realized the project of the “Office for Legal Aid for Drug Users”, as one of the categories of persons who necessarily needed legal aid, among other things because of pooer financial situation.

Free legal aid includes the providing of necessary funds to fully or partially cover the costs of legal advice, preparation of pleadings, representation in proceedings before the Court, the State Prosecution and the Constitutional Court of Montenegro and the procedure for the amicable settlement of disputes, and exemption from payment of litigation costs. The forms of legal aid that are enabled to drug users are:

* Legal counseling;

* Drafting of documents;

* Representation in court proceedings and procedures for amicable settlement of the dispute.

CeMI defined the key objectives of this project, namely:

* The overall objective of the project – improving respect for fundamental human rights of drug users in Montenegro.

* The specific objective of the project – establishing a system of professional and effective legal protection of drug users in proceedings before the judicial authorities in Montenegro, by promoting the principle of providing free legal aid.