The Ministry of Justice in Poland is developing a reform for remote free legal aid. While the President of the National Bar Council has voiced significant concerns about the proposal, the National Chamber of Legal Advisors is more receptive to the idea.
The ministry suggests that phone consultations could be offered to individuals like hospital patients, inmates, or people living abroad, similar to how telemedicine consultations were handled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Better Call Saul" in Polish? New debate on free phone-based legal aid
Przemysław Rosati, President of the Polish National Bar Council, stated in an interview with Polish Radio that free legal aid should not be treated like a call center, as legal advice needs to be comprehensive and reliable, and phone consultations could pose legal risks due to the difficulty of assessing situations without access to documents.
The National Chamber of Legal Advisors holds a different perspective on implementing free legal advice in Poland, emphasizing the need to specify which groups should be eligible for such assistance.
Ryszard Ostrowski, Vice President of the National Chamber of Legal Advisors in Poland, stated that while phone-based legal aid should not be completely dismissed, it should be limited to straightforward issues that can be effectively addressed during a remote conversation.
Both lawyers and legal advisors advocate for limiting the eligibility for free legal advice. At present, individuals seeking assistance merely need to declare that they cannot afford to pay for commercially provided services.
Source: IAR/PAP/PR24
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