A working meeting with lawyers to discuss the main challenges and obstacles in dealing with the cases of domestic violence took place on 17-18 March 2022 in Budva. The event was organised in close co-operation with the Bar Association and the NGO Women’s Rights Centre, aiming primarily to enhance the capacities of lawyers to provide free legal aid to victims of domestic violence.

Even though a free legal aid system is in place, very little use is made of it, which impacts victims’ effective access to justice. In 2020, in over 2000 cases of domestic violence brought to criminal and misdemeanour courts, only 47 victims requested and obtained free legal aid.

Therefore, it is of essential importance not only to raise the awareness of the victims on the available protective mechanisms, but also to enhance the capacities of all the relevant actors to effectively respond to the cases of domestic violence. Lawyers, as free legal aid providers, need to be sensitised to deal with the victims of violence and provide comprehensive legal support.

The meeting brought together lawyers from the central and southern regions and offered a space for exchanges of experiences with representatives of the police, prosecution and courts. In the coming months, a series of training sessions will take place to encompass a large number of lawyers from all three regions of Montenegro.

The meeting was organised within the action "Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro", which is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.