Last week, the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan considered in the first reading a bill expanding citizens’ access to legal assistance at the expense of the state. In particular, the new document will determine the status of paralegals.
24.kg news agency turned to a lawyer Kamil Ruziev with a request to explain the legal term to Kyrgyzstanis.
According to the expert, paralegals are people who provide legal assistance, especially to citizens from socially vulnerable sections of the population, but do not have a law degree.
«Development of the institute of paralegals in Kyrgyzstan began in 2022, they are extremely necessary for our society. After all, many citizens, especially residents of remote regions, have a poor understanding of the law and do not know where to get legal assistance,» he said.
Kamil Ruziev also told about some important features of the work of a paralegal.
«The profession is not that important for paralegals. The key factors are life experience and a desire to help. In some particularly difficult cases, a specialist may seek state-guaranteed legal assistance or consult a lawyer. It’s worth noting that the most successful paralegals are those who have gone through legal problems themselves,» he added.
According to Kamil Ruziev, the state should help develop the institute of paralegals.
«The main thing is to provide assistance at the local level, conduct training and advanced training. It would be useful to inform the population through the media and specialized platforms. It would be great to promote the most competent paralegals and publish their names and contacts. This will help provide citizens of Kyrgyzstan with legal assistance,» he concluded.
