Restore Childrens Rights to Legal Aid

The financial deadlock between the Bar Associations and the Ministry of Justice which led to the suspension of assigment of defence counselors to culprits would especially harm children involved in crime, criticize rights activists.

Ankara

Rights activists criticize the lack of a solution to the problems concerning the assignment of defense lawyers to each and every culprit as foreseen by the Code of Criminal Procedure (CMK), saying children involved in crime will suffer the most from the current deadlock.

Protesting the Ministry of Justice and Treasury's reluctance to pay the necessary fees, Turkey's Union of Bar Associations recently ceased to continue assigning its member counselors to cases.

Gündem Association to Promote, Monitor and Implement Children's Rights (Gündem Çocuk) urged the government to take its responsibility on the subject and immediatly find a solution.

"We call on the Ministry of Justice and the Treasury to immediately transfer the necessary funds to the Union of Bar Associations, so they can resume assigning counselors to cases as foreseen by law", the rights organization said.

It's feared that the lack of defense lawyers for those who can't afford one would increase rights violations such as torture and ill treatment. such would especially cause irreversible harm in cases involving children.

Gündem Çocuk also urged the Union to take responsibility and continue assigning lawyers to those under the age of 18 even during the crisis.(EÜ)