A two-day needs-assessment visit to the Georgian Bar Association (GBA) was carried out by an international expert of the Council of Europe on 25-26 September 2018. The aim of this visit was to assess the existing situation in providing pro-bono services for vulnerable groups with a view to preparing a concept paper for the Georgian Bar Association. The expert held bilateral meetings with the GBA representatives, lawyers involved in a pending pilot pro-bono project, beneficiaries and supporters of the project, other associations, NGO representatives and the Free Legal Aid Bureau. Information gathered will serve as a basis for preparing a concept-paper with pro-bono service-mapping and best practices on launching bar-based services taking into account already existing free legal aid opportunities.

‘It is important to get acquainted with the foreign best practices and to hold discussions with the Council of Europe expert. It would help us in delivering quality and easily accessible service’, said David Asatiani, the chairperson of the Georgian Bar Association.

The visit was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Support to the Judicial Reform in Georgia”, which is funded by voluntary contributions of Bulgaria, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Norway, the Slovak Republic, and Sweden to support the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2016 - 2019.