OSCE campaign seeks to improve access to justice in Kosovo

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 5 October 2015 – The OSCE Mission in Kosovo started a campaign today to inform the public about their rights before the courts and available resources to exercise them. 

The aim of the three-month campaign which includes TV and radio spots, posters and leaflets is to raise awareness among the population about core rights such as the right to a lawyer, free legal aid, victim’s advocate, use of languages, and access to information, as well as to encourage their participation and utilization of the justice system.

“A survey conducted by the Mission indicates that only 15% of the people in Kosovo are well-informed about their legally-guaranteed rights.” said Ralph Bunche, Chief of the Law and Justice Section in the OSCE Mission. “69% of respondents had not heard about available legal aid services at all.”

“Our court monitoring shows that only approximately 30% of women and non-Albanian community members are represented by lawyers before the courts. In addition, non-Albanian speakers face various language barriers in the processing of their court cases and we hope the campaign will help change that,” he added.

Campaign material is available at //www.osce.org/kosovo/189381

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human rights protection and promotion, democratization and public safety sector development. The campaign is part of the Mission’s support to strengthen compliance of the justice system with international and human rights standards.