United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems 9 18. States should endeavour to enhance the knowledge of their communi‑ ties about their justice system and its functions, the ways to file complaints before the courts and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. 19. States should consider adopting appropriate measures for informing their communities about acts criminalized under the law. The provision of such information for those travelling to other jurisdictions, where crimes are categorized and prosecuted differently, is essential for crime prevention. Principle 3. Legal aid for persons suspected of or charged with a criminal offence 20. States should ensure that anyone who is detained, arrested, suspected of, or charged with a criminal offence punishable by a term of imprisonment or the death penalty is entitled to legal aid at all stages of the criminal justice process. 21. Legal aid should also be provided, regardless of the person’s means, if the interests of justice so require, for example, given the urgency or com‑ plexity of the case or the severity of the potential penalty. 22. Children should have access to legal aid under the same conditions as or more lenient conditions than adults. 23. It is the responsibility of police, prosecutors and judges to ensure that those who appear before them who cannot afford a lawyer and/or who are vulnerable are provided access to legal aid. Principle 4. Legal aid for victims of crime 24. Without prejudice to or inconsistency with the rights of the accused, States should, where appropriate, provide legal aid to victims of crime. Principle 5. Legal aid for witnesses 25. Without prejudice to or inconsistency with the rights of the accused, States should, where appropriate, provide legal aid to witnesses of crime.