Voices from the field

Back Unlocking Justice: Free Legal Aid Brings Hope for Equal Access to Justice for All in North Macedonia

North Macedonia 20 April 2026

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Arkin Jahiji, State Advisor for Free Legal Aid and NCB Coordinator

Equal access to justice is a cornerstone of a fair and inclusive society, as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights (European Convention) guaranteeing access to legal assistance for anyone who cannot afford it. In North Macedonia, the European Union and the Council of Europe have for years supported the consolidation of Free Legal Aid (FLA) services, reaching vulnerable groups like women, children, people with disabilities, Roma, and victims of domestic violence. Thanks to co-ordination with state institutions, civil society, and legal clinics, the FLA network is expanding and helping more people than ever.

With continuous support from the Council of Europe, under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice and engagement of civil society and other domestic actors, North Macedonia’s Free Legal Aid system is stronger and more effective. In 2024, primary legal aid was provided in 5,030 cases — a drastic rise of over 1,580% since 2019. Secondary legal aid requests also nearly doubled. These results show that outreach and better co-ordination are making justice accessible to those who need it most.

The National and Local Co-ordination Bodies: Pillars of Collaboration

Key to this progress are the National Co-ordination Body (NCB) and new Local Co-ordination Bodies (LCB), created with European Union and Council of Europe support. These bodies have improved communication and partnerships among all actors involved in FLA. The NCB holds regular meetings, shares information, and develops practical solutions for citizens’ needs.

Arkin Jahiji, State Advisor for Free Legal Aid and NCB Co-ordinator, explained that: “Regular collaboration helps us develop solutions that respond to people’s real needs,” noting that open dialogue has resulted in better policies and actions for access to justice.

The Ministry of Justice’s Regional Offices greatly benefit from the NCB, which strengthens the Free Legal Aid system. “Through the exchange of experiences and best practices, stakeholders are better able to identify challenges and address them effectively,” said Jovanka Kamcheva from the Regional Office in Negotino.

Following the NCB’s model, Local Co-ordination Bodies like the one in Kumanovo support Free Legal Aid at the community level. “Since its establishment in 2023, the Local Co-ordination Body in Kumanovo has conducted several meetings, resulting in important actions agreed among stakeholders,” said Frosina Stevanovikj, Head of the MoJ’s Regional Office in Kumanovo. She emphasised that these periodic meetings ensure that legal aid resources are used wisely and citizens receive timely support.

Civil society organisations and legal clinics also rely on the work of the NCB to monitor and improve legal aid, exchange good practices, and identify system weaknesses. “The existence of the NCB contributes to strengthening the rule of law and trust in institutions, as it enables a more organised, transparent, and co-ordinated approach to legal protection,” underlined Milica Shutova, Head of the Legal Clinic at the Faculty of Law in Shtip and NCB member.

Jovanka Kamcheva from the Regional Office in Negotino

Mobile Teams: Bringing Aid Directly to Citizens

While improved co-ordination has made the system more effective, expanding access also means raising awareness, so citizens know their rights and available services. To achieve this, the European Union and Council of Europe have supported multiple awareness-raising initiatives (including 33 micro promotions in different cities and rural areas) together with the Ministry of Justice, civil society organisations, and other partners in the field. These activities not only reach local and vulnerable communities but also bring services closer to those who need them most, ensuring free legal aid benefits reach every corner of North Macedonia.

Since last year, three mobile teams—composed of CSOs representatives and law students from legal clinics—have been providing primary legal aid at Civil Registry Offices in Skopje, Bitola, and Shtip. During November and December 2025, 496 people received primary legal aid from these teams. “This initiative has shown that when legal aid is brought closer to citizens, access to justice improves, and their awareness and trust in institutions increase,” said Irena Tufekdzieva, Representative of the Youth Cultural Center – Bitola and member of the mobile team in Bitola.

For Milica Shutova, Head of the Legal Clinic at the Faculty of Law in Shtip, providing primary legal aid in Civil Registry Offices is a significant step toward improving access to justice and legal certainty for citizens. “This initiative is of great importance for legal clinics and the free legal aid system as a whole, strengthening legal services especially for vulnerable groups, and helping to overcome legal challenges,” she emphasized.

The mobile team in Skopje is also very active in providing free legal aid and information materials to citizens. Aleksandra Efremova and Andrijana Markovska, representatives of the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association and members of the team, shared examples of how they helped on-the-spot citizens overcome legal barriers: initiate registration of children’s births, assisting with birth register changes, and obtaining identity documents for citizens and their minor children. “This initiative is very helpful especially for vulnerable groups, and it should continue in the future,” said Efremova.

Mobile team with CSO-s representatives and law students from legal clinics

Partnerships Making Justice Accessible

Under the umbrella of the Horizontal Facility the programme, the European Union and the Council of Europe, are forging strong partnerships between state institutions, civil society organisations, and legal clinics, so more people in North Macedonia are getting practical legal help — advice, documents, and support with everyday legal issues. Co-ordination bodies and mobile teams have helped make legal services more accessible, efficient, and responsive, addressing a key Recommendations and Guidelines of the Council of Europe. Collaboration remains key to building a fair and inclusive society for everyone.

This session of the website features inspiring narratives, human stories and success examples, that demonstrate positive change and improvement in the lives of individuals, local communities, and society as a whole.

Back Constitutional and Supreme Court advisers bring Strasbourg experience into Serbia’s judiciary

Besnik BAKA

Belgrade 17 December 2025

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Constitutional and Supreme Court advisers bring Strasbourg experience into Serbia’s judiciary

As a part of its efforts to enhance national implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, the action “Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia” has been supporting placements of Serbian legal professionals in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

For Milan Bajić and Nikola Djekić, legal advisers at Serbia’s Supreme and Constitutional Courts, a six-month placement at the ECtHR in Strasbourg provided a unique insight into how European legal principles are interpreted at the highest level. By closely engaging with the Court’s rulings on freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and other fundamental issues, the advisers have not only expanded their knowledge of the Convention system, but also, upon their return, shared their experiences within Serbia’s judiciary.

Milan emphasised how the placement in Strasbourg deepened his understanding of comparative law. Relying on his research, judges from the Supreme Court could draw on broader jurisprudential trends when evaluating cases, thereby enhancing the quality and coherence of domestic rulings. “Judges are experienced professionals who quickly grasp the different options available to them,” he says. “But they cannot regularly follow the latest jurisprudence from the ECtHR, and they need to be provided with key highlights.”

In this regard, the ECHR Knowledge Sharing Platform serves as a valuable tool, offering the Supreme Court access to the latest developments in ECtHR case-law and other jurisprudence. Each week, Milan and his colleagues from the Case Law Department of the Supreme Court select the most significant cases and circulate them to the Criminal and Civil Departments, allowing judges to request further clarification or a more detailed analysis.

In September 2025, twelve judges of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Department attended an in-house training on Article 6 of the ECHR, covering recent ECtHR case-law on the right to defence, presumption of innocence, circumstantial evidence, and other issues that Milan presented.

Milan has also brought lessons from Strasbourg directly into the Judicial Academy. Over two semesters, from September 2024 to June 2025, the XII generation of Judicial Academy trainees gained a thorough understanding of four articles of the Convention through presentations on relevant jurisprudence and interactive case studies on the application of European standards during the training seminars which the action “Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia” organised together with the Judicial Academy. “The trainees’ response was very positive,” Milan explains. “I provided them with a short yet comprehensive overview of ECtHR case-law, which will serve as a reliable reference for them as future judges.”

“I attended a three-month training in Strasbourg myself,” he adds. “The placement helped me understand internal Court procedures – for example, how committees operate, the role of a single judge, and the functioning of the fast-track procedure.” Something from which young legal professionals at the Judicial Academy could certainly benefit.

Milan’s colleague from the Constitutional Court, Nikola, also spent six months in Strasbourg, observing first-hand how carefully each case is considered and how much attention is given to the reasoning behind every decision. “During my time at the ECtHR, I became familiar with case-law showing that a violation of a right is examined even when the applicant has suffered no significant harm,” he says. Nikola drafted Single Judge Notes and, for cases reviewed by a panel of three judges, Committee Notes. This work taught him to clearly and precisely explain alleged rights violations, focus on what truly matters, and navigate complex cases.

At the Constitutional Court of Serbia, Nikola contributed upon his return from Strasbourg to improving the drafting of decisions. “For the first time, the Constitutional Court found a violation of the right to property in the context of pensions, stressing that the authorities’ decisions had effectively terminated the applicant’s entitlement to a pension that had been recognised before,” he recalls, describing a case in which a pensioner’s rights had been cut, prompting the Court to assess the protection of property rights in accordance with ECtHR jurisprudence. His work also strengthened the Court’s assessment of the proportionality of restrictions on freedom of assembly.

After his return, Nikola became a go-to adviser for colleagues dealing with complex issues. “I answered questions from my colleagues concerning the confiscation of property as a security measure, the admissibility of applicants, judicial protection for whistle-blowers, the prohibition of discrimination, and many others,” he says. He shared his knowledge widely, circulating training materials and drawing on insights gained from his contacts at the ECtHR.

These are still an important resource in his work today. “I exchange with my colleagues at the ECtHR useful information on cases and jurisprudence,” he explains. For Nikola, the placement in Strasbourg was a valuable professional experience that gave him the tools to support the Constitutional Court in aligning more closely with European human rights standards.

The action “Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia“ is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.