Every day, the inbox of 'Pravo na pravnu pomoć – Mostar' receives messages from citizens requesting various types of assistance. Since the Institute for Providing Free Legal Aid in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton has not yet become operational, more than 20% of the population in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, according to unofficial indicators, is unable to access free legal aid despite the fact that it is a fundamental right guaranteed by law.
It is encouraging to note that the Government of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton recently adopted a decision at its latest regular session to appoint Aida Zerem as the director of the Institute. According to the legal procedure, this decision is submitted to the Civil Service Agency of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, after the 15-day appeal period, will notify the Government of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton about any received appeals. If no appeals are submitted, Aida Zerem will officially become the director of the Institute for Providing Free Legal Aid in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
However, this does not fully complete the process. After the appointment of the director, it is necessary to hire other employees for the Institute. Representatives of the 'Pravo na pravnu pomoć – Mostar' initiative, when advocating for the appointment of the Institute's director, proposed that this procedure be completed no later than 60 days from the director's appointment. "By completing this procedure, the quality of life for many of our fellow citizens will certainly improve, as for all these years, due to political disagreements, they have been unable to exercise their legally guaranteed rights. We receive numerous messages and inquiries from our citizens every day asking who they can contact for legal assistance. Until now, we have told them to be patient, but now I can say that we will soon have both the space and the competent staff who will work for the well-being of our citizens across the entire Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. It will take a little more time to complete the legal procedure, but I am confident that by spring, the Institute will open its doors and begin providing free legal aid", explained Edisa Demić, a representative of the 'Pravo na pravnu pomoć – Mostar' initiative.
To remind, in 2014, the Institute for Providing Free Legal Aid in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton was officially opened in Mostar, but it never started operating, meaning it never became functional. A process that has lasted 11 years has finally been unblocked, and as a result, those who have been deprived of their rights in previous years will finally have the opportunity to access free legal aid in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. The current law, which was adopted back in 2013, guarantees the right to free legal aid is guaranteed to the following groups:
- Users of permanent financial assistance,
- Children without parental care,
- Recipients of the lowest pensions,
- Unemployed persons with the status of displaced persons, refugees, returnees, and demobilized soldiers,
- Persons in poor financial condition,
- Victims of violence,
- Persons deprived of legal capacity and those with mental illnesses,
- Members of the veteran population,
- Persons in criminal proceedings without residence in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton."
The decision to activate the Institute is the light at the end of the tunnel and is of great importance for all individuals in the listed categories, as they will finally have a place where they can turn to professionals and gain the opportunity to exercise one of their fundamental human rights.
By the way, the initiative to make the Institute functional, which was officially opened in 2014 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, was launched by the Association for Education and Development 'Dignitet' and the Nansen Dialogue Center (NDC) Mostar. In recent months, they have sought and received support from the Prime Minister and all the ministers in the Government of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. Although there were indications that the Institute would become operational by the end of 2024, the process was delayed due to complex legal procedures. Still, there is optimism that this issue will be resolved in a relatively short time: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Justice, Goran Karanović, who has assured us from day one that he would advocate for this issue and do everything in his power to make the Institute functional as soon as possible. We also received both verbal and written support from the Minister of Finance, Adil Šuta. I also thank Prime Minister Marija Buhač, whose support and concrete steps have been invaluable. As far as the functioning of the Institute for Providing Free Legal Aid is concerned, we are satisfied because the ministers in the Government, led by the Prime Minister, took all the necessary steps within their authority, which their predecessors had failed to do", said Demić.
Numerous citizens of Mostar, public figures, and the media have all made significant contributions to this entire process, each in their own way, emphasizing the importance of the existence and, ultimately, the functioning of the Institute for Providing Free Legal Aid in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
The premises of the Institute for Providing Free Legal Aid in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton are, according to the latest information, in the process of being arranged and prepared for opening. The 'Pravo na pravnu pomoć – Mostar' initiative has announced that it will provide all necessary information and contact details to all local government units in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, so that those in need can more easily and quickly get in touch with the Institute's staff.
