Workshops for Roma Paralegals

In the years 2004 - 2005 VIA IURIS has implemented a set of five trainings for a group of 41 selected participants all intensively engaged in Roma rights protection. Among the participants were social workers directly active in Roma communities, representatives of Roma NGOs, journalists, as well as four police officers focusing jointly with other participants on communication between police and Roma minority.

Trainings broadened legal skills of participants in the following areas: criminal proceedings, legal defence against discrimination in issues of housing, health care, education, employment as well as access to information and other.

Both during trainings and during the whole project implementation we have provided consultations in specific cases of Roma rights violation. Consultations were provided in areas of housing, suspicion of police violence, suspicion of corruption and clientelism in decision-making concerning management of public funds used for maintenance of Roma houses and criminal law cases.

We have summarized our experience into a practical manual „Law for Non-Lawyers“, which disseminates basic legal skills in the following areas of law: criminal proceedings, housing rights, and discrimination issues, including legal protection against discriminatory treatment.

This project was supported from the program Global Opportunities Fund of the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs.