Record 1.1 million euros allocated for free legal aid in Croatia

Croatia has significantly boosted its support for free legal aid, allocating a record 1.16 million euros in the past year. This represents a 17% increase compared to the previous year, underscoring a commitment to ensuring equal access to justice for all citizens. The funding supports various organizations, including the Informativno-pravni centar (IPC) in Starom Petrovom Selu and the Legal Clinic of the Faculty of Law. These initiatives offer vital legal assistance to individuals who face financial or geographical barriers to accessing legal services. Citizens most frequently seek help with issues related to pension rights, labor law, and social benefits. While criminal cases, such as assault, fraud, or domestic violence, are less common, the services cover a broad spectrum of legal challenges, including inheritance, property disputes, and administrative matters. The Law Faculty's Legal Clinic, in particular, has been providing support for 14 years, reaching citizens in 16 different cities through its 'clinicians,' primarily law students. Since 2011, the clinic has assisted approximately 24,000 citizens. Over the past 17 years, free legal aid has been provided in an impressive 279,000 cases, ranging from family and labor disputes to property rights and administrative proceedings. Of these, 200,000 involved advice, while 79,000 required court representation. The increased funding also includes a 22.4% rise in funds for primary legal aid projects and higher compensation rates for lawyers and experts involved.

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Često se suočavaju s različitim preprekama koje mogu biti zbunjujuće i financijski iscrpljujuće. U tim slučajevima građani bez adekvatne pravne pomoći nerijetko ostaju nezadovoljni i ne ostvare prava koja smatraju da im pripadaju