Employees of local centers for providing legal assistance in the Chernihiv region considered current issues of providing legal assistance to ATO participants

On December 26, 2016, a seminar was held in Chernihiv for employees of local centers for the provision of free secondary legal aid and legal aid bureaus of Chernihiv region on the topic: “Current issues of providing free legal aid to military personnel, participants in the ATO, hostilities and members of their families”.

The event was opened by Olesya Pyrkovska, Deputy Director of the Regional Center for the Provision of Free Secondary Legal Aid in Chernihiv Region, who emphasized the need for such seminars for employees of local centers and legal aid bureaus.

The seminar trainer, coordinator of the NGO “Legal Hundred” Anastasia Kornienko focused the attention of those present on the most pressing issues of legal protection of military personnel, including problematic aspects of dismissal from military service, termination of contracts, payment of financial support, provision of vacations, medical support for participants in the ATO and hostilities, payment of social assistance, etc.

Natalia Kulikova, head of programs of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, emphasized that today amendments have already been adopted to the Law of Ukraine “On Free Legal Aid”, which expand the circle of persons entitled to free secondary legal aid. In particular, these are persons who apply for the status of a participant in hostilities. In addition, free secondary legal aid will be provided to participants in hostilities not only on issues of their social protection, as was the case until now, but on any issues.

The event was organized by the Chernihiv Office of the Legal Development Network of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights together with the Regional Center of the BVPD in Chernihiv Oblast within the framework of the Project “Support to Participants of the Public Organization “CPIC Network” in Strengthening the Legal Opportunities of Vulnerable Populations and Introducing Mediation” with financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation.