The state guarantees certain categories of citizens the right to free services of an attorney (in some cases, a lawyer) to represent their interests in court.
The following are entitled to such services:
- people with low income;
- children;
- internally displaced persons;
- war veterans;
- family members of deceased war veterans;
- people who have suffered from domestic or gender-based violence on issues related to the protection of their rights to prevent and combat violence;
- victims of criminal offenses against sexual freedom and sexual integrity, torture or ill-treatment during hostilities or armed conflict in criminal proceedings initiated upon the commission of such criminal offenses;
- victims of human trafficking on issues related to the protection of their rights, as defined The Law of Ukraine "On Combating Human Trafficking"«.
Examples of help
400 thousand hryvnias in compensation for moral damage was recovered from the person responsible for the accident
In 2019, Olga's daughter died in a car accident. Then, criminal proceedings were opened, in which the woman received the status of a victim.
The court found the driver of the car guilty of committing a crime, as he was driving under the influence of alcohol. He was sentenced to imprisonment with deprivation of the right to drive vehicles.
However, the driver admitted his guilt, repented, and promised to pay 500,000 hryvnia in moral damages gradually until 2025.
The court took this into account and instead of the actual term, it assigned a probationary period. The driver paid only over 58 thousand hryvnias before the court's verdict, and then disappeared.
Olga turned to the BPD system. She has a low income, the state guarantees her free representation in court. The case was assigned to lawyer Anastasia Funtasova, who cooperates with the BPD system.
The lawyer studied the circumstances of the case and prepared a statement of claim to the court, in which she requested to recover from the driver of the car unpaid moral damages in the amount of UAH 441,620.
The court partially satisfied the claim - it ordered the perpetrator of the accident to pay 400,000 hryvnias in moral damages in favor of Olga, as well as a court fee of 6,000 hryvnias in favor of the state.
10 thousand hryvnias in compensation for moral damage was recovered from the offender
Vasyl Ivanovich was beaten by fellow villager Volodya for a quarrel with Volodya's acquaintance.
Vasyl Ivanovych received minor bodily injuries. And he was not going to leave it all just like that and turned to the police. There they opened a criminal case for intentional infliction of minor bodily injury (Part 1 of Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Thus, Vasyl Ivanovych received the status of a victim in criminal proceedings.
Then he turned to the BPD system. Since Vasyl Ivanovych has a low income, the state guarantees him free representation in court. The case was assigned to lawyer Roman Bakhir, who cooperates with the BPD system.
The lawyer studied the circumstances of the case and prepared a statement of claim to the court, in which he requested to recover moral compensation in the amount of 10 thousand hryvnias from the offender.
The court considered the case and satisfied Vasyl Ivanovych's claim. Now Volodya must pay 10 thousand hryvnias in compensation for moral damage.
How to get this help:https://legalaid.gov.ua/kliyentam/yak-otrymaty-bpd/
