The Cabinet of Ministers supported the idea of expanding the circle of recipients of FLA

Orphans and children deprived of parental care aged 18 to 23 will be able to receive free secondary legal aid.

During its meeting on October 2, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported the draft law «On amendments to article 14 of the Law of Ukraine «On Free Legal Aid» regarding the expansion of the list of persons entitled to free secondary legal aid,” which will be submitted to parliament.

As a reminder, free secondary legal aid includes three types of services:

1) defense;

2) representation of individuals in courts, other state bodies, local self-government bodies, and before other persons;

3) drafting of procedural documents (article 13 of the Law «On Free Legal Aid»).

According to Article 131-2 of the Constitution of Ukraine, advocacy provides professional legal assistance in Ukraine. Only an advocate can represent another person in court and defend them against criminal charges.

The Ministry of Justice explained that the initiative was developed to implement the Strategy for ensuring the right of every child in Ukraine to grow up in a family environment for 2024-2028, which provides for strengthening legal guarantees for this category of persons. The implementation of the initiative will provide thousands of orphans and children deprived of parental care with real access to justice and protection of their rights. Such children cannot count on family support in difficult life situations, particularly in matters of protecting their rights in court, access to housing, or social guarantees.