Free legal aid under martial law: peculiarities of provision

Abstract

The article examines the issue of providing free legal aid to the population of Ukraine under martial law. It is the provision of such assistance that realizes the right of Ukrainians to legal protection and to solve their life problems in a legal manner.
The article analyzes the provision of free legal aid to particularly vulnerable categories of persons, internally displaced persons in difficult financial and psychological conditions. It is these categories of the population that require high-quality, professional, effective and free-of-charge assistance from individuals and legal entities in accordance with the current legislation.
The author identifies the advantages and disadvantages of providing free legal aid under martial law and the reasons for its ineffectiveness in the current conditions of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.
Legal aid is divided into primary and secondary legal aid. Each type of assistance is distinguished by the subjects of its provision and the circle of recipients.
The article emphasizes that after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the number of people in need of free legal professional assistance and psychological support is increasing.
The article pays special attention to the provision of free legal aid to children, vulnerable groups of the population and persons affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war. Protection of the rights and interests of children is one of the important tasks of the free legal aid system.
The author proposes ways to improve the quality of free legal aid provision to the population under martial law, namely: providing free legal aid in a remote format, using applications for mobile devices, spreading the volunteer movement, conducting legal education, improving legislation, etc.
Today, the provision of free legal aid has become possible remotely via the Internet and special applications, which has made it easier for people to resolve a significant number of legal issues under martial law.