United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems

E/RES/2012/15View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Economic and Social Council, under agenda item 14c Crime prevention and criminal justice, published in 2012.

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Crime Prevention Criminal Justice Guidelines Legal Aid Principles

What’s in this document?

10 operative paragraphs

Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:

Notes with appreciation the work of the open-ended intergovernmental expert group on strengthening access to legal aid in criminal justice systems, at its meeting held in Vienna from 16 to 18 November 2011, to develop a set of principles and guidelines on access to legal aid in criminal justice systems;

Adopts the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, annexed to the present resolution, as a useful framework to guide Member States on the principles on which a legal aid system in criminal justice should be based, taking into account the content of the present resolution and the fact that all elements of the annex will be applied in accordance with national legislation;

Invites Member States, consistent with their national legislation, to adopt and strengthen measures to ensure that effective legal aid is provided, in accordance with the spirit of the Principles and Guidelines, bearing in mind the diversity of criminal justice systems among different countries and regions around the world and the fact that legal aid is developed in accordance with the overall balance of the criminal justice system, as well as the circumstances of countries and regions;

Encourages Member States to consider, where appropriate, the provision of legal aid and to provide such aid to the maximum extent possible;

Also encourages Member States to draw upon the Principles and Guidelines, as appropriate, and in accordance with national law, in undertaking national efforts and measures to strengthen access to legal aid in criminal justice systems;

Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources, to continue to provide advisory services and technical assistance to Member States, upon request, in the area of criminal justice reform, including restorative justice, alternatives to imprisonment and the development of integrated plans for the provision of legal aid;

Also requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources, to make the Principles and Guidelines widely available, including through the development of relevant tools such as handbooks and training manuals;

Invites Member States and other donors to provide extrabudgetary resources for the purposes described above, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the United Nations;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twenty-third session on the implementation of the present resolution.

United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems

[For the text, see Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2012, Supplement No. 10 (E/2012/30 and Corr.1 and 2), chap. I, sect. A, draft resolution III; the text will be reproduced in full at the stage of consideration by the General Assembly.]

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents