A joint project implemented by the Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) and Georgian Bar Association, envisaging free legal assistance to disabled people and palliative care patients was launched on July 1.

Free legal aid involves the provision of legal assistance to people as well as protection of their interests and their representation in courts over the issues that have emerged in the process of medical care, as well as discrimination and property-related issues.

Nine highly ranked lawyers were selected from Adjara, Tbilisi, Kakheti, Gori and Senaki to participate in the project. In late June, they underwent three-day training in Batumi to familiarize themselves with a number of issues, among them mental health and related legal issues; disabilities, legislation, and convention; the essence of palliative care, pain relief as a human right and related legislation.

Lawyers will offer free legal services and protect victims' interests in court and other instances over the cases related to violation of their rights to health, violation of property or non-property rights caused by aggravation of a beneficiary's health condition.

The free legal aid involves: 

• Legal consultation - verbal/written
• Drafting and filing a lawsuit/claim
• Representation at trials
• Assistance in compiling necessary documents and information
• Visiting the penitentiary institutions and familiarizing with the case

Georgian Bar Association offers interested persons a hotline:  599-19-33-44

The Memorandum on launching the project was signed on May 22.