SPILF 2025 discussed the development of free legal aid systems in national jurisdictions

On 19 May 2025 a session entitled ‘The Right to Legal Rights: Free Legal Aid through the Lens of International Experience’ took place as part of St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. The session discussed basic approach to organizing free legal aid system in various jurisdictions.

The panel discussion featured Oscar Manuel Silveira Martinez, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Cuba; Erlan Sarsembayev, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Ramaotwana Nelson Ramaotwana, Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services of the Republic of Botswana; as well as experts from Iran, Venezuela, Vietnam, Tanzania, Uzbekistan and Russia.

Roman Ryaby, Director of the Department for Development and Regulation of Legal Aid and Legal Services, Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, moderated the session.

Today, free legal aid is one of the most sought-after mechanisms in Russia for protecting the rights and legitimate interests of socially vulnerable groups of citizens who cannot afford to pay for the services of lawyers. In 2024, free legal aid was provided in 648,329 cases, which is 34% more than in 2023.

“The Ministry is working hard to develop free legal aid. Steps are being taken to improve legislation, set up state legal offices, buy special vehicles, and develop a single digital platform to help both those who need these services and those who can provide them. Today's discussion, which we conceived as a conversation in the spirit of comparative law, is unique. Never before at any of our Forums has this topic been discussed in such depth or with such a broad and representative group of speakers from other countries,” Roman Ryaby noted in his opening remarks.

“Today, it is more important than ever to talk about what makes the law accessible. Free legal aid is not just a social institution, but a powerful factor in strengthening citizens’ trust in their state. This is especially true for those who are unable to defend their rights on their own,” said Erlan Sarsembayev, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the event, speakers and participants discussed issues related to the content of free legal aid in different countries, the main approaches to building the architecture of national systems, determining who is entitled to receive free legal aid and who is entitled to provide it, problems of standardization and quality control in the provision of aid, existing models of financing expenses, and a number of other issues.

The Forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

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