The draft law provides for establishing fundamental guarantees of Russian citizens’ rights to receive free qualified legal assistance in Russia and procedural and legal principles of forming governmental and non-governmental systems of free legal assistance.
The draft law defines state policy on providing citizens with free legal assistance, the main principles of providing free legal assistance, the types of free legal assistance to be available, who is subject to receiving free legal assistance, and qualifying requirements to professionals providing this type of assistance.
The draft law stipulates supplying information on activities aimed at providing free legal assistance to citizens, as well as financial provisions of state guarantees of citizens’ rights to receive free legal assistance.
These federal laws are expected to come into force on January 1, 2012.