United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems
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(f) To enable, in accordance with national law, paralegals and law
students to provide appropriate types of assistance to the accused in court,
provided that they are under the supervision of qualified lawyers;
(g) To ensure that unrepresented suspects and the accused understand
their rights. This may include, but is not limited to, requiring judges and
prosecutors to explain their rights to them in clear and plain language.
Guideline 6.
Legal aid at the post‑trial stage
46. States should ensure that imprisoned persons and children deprived of
their liberty have access to legal aid. Where legal aid is not available, States
shall ensure that such persons are held in prison in conformity with the law.
47.
For this purpose, States should introduce measures:
(a) To provide all persons, on admission to the place of imprisonment
and during their detention, with information on the rules of the place
of imprisonment and their rights under the law, including the right to
confidential legal aid, advice and assistance; the possibilities for further
review of their case; their rights during disciplinary proceedings; and
procedures for complaint, appeal, early release, pardon or clemency. Such
information should be provided in a manner that corresponds to the needs
of illiterate persons, minorities, persons with disabilities and children and
should be in a language that the person in need of legal aid understands.
Information provided to children should be provided in a manner appropriate
for their age and maturity. The information material should be supported by
visual aids prominently located in those parts of the facilities to which
prisoners have regular access;
(b) To encourage bar and legal associations and other legal aid pro‑
viders to draw up rosters of lawyers, and paralegals, where appropriate, to
visit prisons to provide legal advice and assistance at no cost to prisoners;
(c) To ensure that prisoners have access to legal aid for the purpose
of submitting appeals and filing requests related to their treatment and the
conditions of their imprisonment, including when facing serious disciplinary
charges, and for requests for pardon, in particular for those prisoners facing
the death penalty, as well as for applications for parole and representation
at parole hearings;
(d) To inform foreign prisoners of the possibility, where available, of
seeking transfer to serve their sentence in their country of nationality, subject
to the consent of the States involved.