Public Association "Legal Clinic"

Description

The Public Association "Legal Clinic" has started its activity in July 1998, founded by the Soros Foundation Moldova, the National Centre for Assistance and Information and the Dean of the Law Academy. It was registered with the Ministry of Justice on 13 July 1999.
The legal assistance provided by the Legal Clinic is pro bono and the target group is the in-country vulnerable social categories of population.

In April 2000 the Refugee Section has been opened within the Clinic with the support of UNHCR BO Moldova and the State University of Moldova.

The Republic of Moldova is already party to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol thereto, however it has no domestic administrative or legal structures for receiving refugees.

The Refugee Section aims to create a functioning system for providing legal assistance to refugees and asylum seekers in the Republic of Moldova. The main objective is to ensure that the persons who come to Moldova in need of international protection are treated in accordance with international standards and receive such protection. Currently, the newly established Government Refugee Authority (Main Directorate for Refugees (which is still in the process of strengthening its capacity)) and only two non-governmental organisations provide legal assistance to this very special and vulnerable category of individuals.

The provision of legal assistance to refugees and asylum seekers is in the interest of a fair and efficient asylum procedure that Moldova must eventually ensure.

Clinic Activities

This project consists of two main sets of activities.

First, the theoretical part, which will consist in training students involved in the Legal Clinic's activities by teaching a special course on Refugee Law and a course on Clinical Education. A curriculum of a special course on Refugee Law is being taught to the students of the Law faculty of the State University of Moldova. It includes 90 hours of theoretical lectures and 40 of practical. However the course has been extended for another semester during which EU Acquis will be taught (certainly practical lectures and activity will take place as well).

It has been decided to do so taking into consideration some incentives brought from the practice of other LCs we cooperate with (Poland, Hungary) as well as our strong commitment to improve Clinic's activity and students' skills.

Second the practical part - by providing regular consultations to refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons, including their rights and obligations under the law of Moldova, and the preparation of necessary materials of the case and representation of refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs before public bodies and courts. This parts consists in continuing the activity of the refugee section that deals exclusively with refugee related issues such as counselling, and the most important - representation in courts and administrative bodies of refugees and asylum seekers. The activity of each student consists of 8-10 hours per week. The students that have been taking the Refugee Law course have become active members and started providing legal assistance to the clients.

In order to deepen the students' knowledge and share experience, they have the opportunity to participate in roundtables and trainings within the Clinic as well as abroad. To the roundtables in the Clinic we invite UNHCR staff members, lawyers from other Implementing Partners, representatives of state authorities etc. Students participate in the summer course on refugees that takes place in Strasbourg, France in the period from 18 to 30 June each year, the summer schools in Germany. The staff of the LC participates in the LARC events, performs study visits to similar organisations etc.

The students who prove to be very outgoing and enthusiastic are accepted as interns with UNHCR BO Moldova, Legal Unit of Save the Children were they have the possibility to get an insight of institutions in the filed of international protection.

The direct beneficiaries of this project are therefore students of the Law Faculty of the Republic of Moldova; the indirect beneficiaries are all refugees, asylum seekers and stateless internally displaced persons in need of assistance.

Contact information

PA "Legal Clinic"
60 Mateevici str.
Chisinau, Moldova
MD-2009

Tel. (3732) 23 24 53
Fax (3732) 24 33 60

Dragos Blanaru, Director
adragos@lc.dnt.md

Eugen Osmochescu, Tutor
eosmoch@hotmail.com

Mariana Nicuta, Project assistant/Legal consultant
mariana@lc.dnt.md

Students' e-account:
refugee-lc@mail.ru