Legal aid in the Low Countries / editors, Bernard Hubeau, Ashley Terlouw.
2014
KJC3791 .L44 2014 (Map It)
Available at Cellar
Formats
| Format | |
|---|---|
| BibTeX | |
| MARCXML | |
| TextMARC | |
| MARC | |
| DublinCore | |
| EndNote | |
| NLM | |
| RefWorks | |
| RIS |
Items
Details
Title
Legal aid in the Low Countries / editors, Bernard Hubeau, Ashley Terlouw.
Published
Cambridge, United Kingdom : Intersentia ; [Maastricht] : Metro, [2014]
Call Number
KJC3791 .L44 2014
ISBN
9781780682563 (pbk.)
1780682565 (pbk.)
1780682565 (pbk.)
Description
xvii, 375 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
System Control No.
(OCoLC)893408527
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 343-374).
Series
Record Appears in
Table of Contents
Preface / Jean Van Houtte
v
Introduction
1
ch. 1
Legal Aid and Access to Justice: How to Look at and Evaluate Legal Aid Systems? / Ashley Terlouw
3
1.
Introduction
3
2.
General Context of Legal Aid
5
3.
Access to Justice and the Right to Legal Aid/Legal Assistance
7
3.1.
Role of Fundamental Social Rights
7
3.2.
Enforceability and Effectiveness of Fundamental Social Rights
8
3.3.
Right to Legal Assistance for Vulnerable Groups in Society
8
4.
Some Historical and Current Developments: Types of Legal Aid Systems
9
4.1.
Legal Aid Policies and their History
9
4.2.
First Line or Level (Primary) and Second Line or Level (Secondary) Legal Aid
10
4.3.
'Judicare', 'Staff' and 'Mixed' Models of Legal Aid
10
5.
How to Assess and Evaluate Legal Aid Systems?
13
5.1.
About Comprehensive and Generous Legal Aid Systems
13
5.2.
About Types of Legal Aid
13
5.3.
About the Five Conditions for Sound Legal Aid
14
6.
Structure of the Book
14
pt. 1
DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH ON LEGAL AID
17
ch. 2
Dutch and Belgian Research into Disputes and Legal Services / Marijke ter Voert
19
1.
Introduction
19
2.
Incidence of Disputes and the Use of Legal Services
19
2.1.
Explaining Differences in Problems
23
2.2.
Explaining Differences in Response to Problems
24
3.
Use of Lawyers, Mediators and Legal Aid
24
3.1.
Lawyers
24
3.2.
Mediators
25
3.3.
Legal Aid
26
4.
Quality of Services
27
4.1.
Dimensions of Quality and Information Asymmetry
27
4.2.
Research into Quality Aspects
28
5.
Costs of Legal Aid
30
6.
Conclusion
31
pt. 2
ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND LEGAL AID: CURRENT QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
33
ch. 3
Legal Aid in Belgium and the Netherlands: Convergences and Differences between Two Institutional Systems / Jean-Francois Reynaert
35
1.
Introduction
35
2.
General Organisation of Legal Aid in Belgium and the Netherlands
36
2.1.
Netherlands
36
2.2.
In Belgium
37
3.
Conditions for Access to Legal Aid
37
3.1.
In the Netherlands
37
3.2.
In Belgium
39
4.
Remuneration of Lawyers
40
4.1.
In the Netherlands
40
4.2.
In Belgium
40
5.
Summary
41
6.
Legal Aid in Belgium and in the Netherlands: General Trends over the Last Decade
42
6.1.
Number of Certificates Issued
42
6.1.1.
Number of Certificates Issued in the Netherlands
42
6.1.2.
Number of Files Closed in Belgium
43
6.2.
Budget Allocated to Legal Aid in Belgium and in the Netherlands
44
6.2.1.
In the Netherlands
44
6.2.2.
In Belgium
45
6.2.3.
Evolution of the Legal Aid Budget per Resident in France, Belgium and the Netherlands
46
7.
Discussion
47
7.1.
Differences between the Two National Contexts Considered
47
7.2.
Similarities between the Two Countries
47
8.
Possible Solutions Intended to Control the Budget
49
8.1.
Taking Better Account of the Real Income and Assets of Citizens
49
8.2.
Avoiding Disputes Concerning Sums that are too Small
49
8.3.
Encouraging Alternatives to the Judicialisation of Certain Disputes
50
8.4.
Increasing the Individual's Contribution
50
8.4.1.
User Fee
50
8.4.2.
Retrocession of Legal Aid Costs where the Individual Benefits from Financial Gain from Legal Proceedings
51
8.4.3.
Lowering the Threshold Conditions for Access to Completely Free Legal Aid
51
8.5.
Generating New Financial Resources
51
8.5.1.
Pooling Resources via Insurance
51
8.5.2.
Taxes Withheld on Fines
51
8.5.3.
Court Fees
51
9.
Conclusion
51
ch. 4
Threats to Legal Aid and Legal Assistance in the Netherlands and in Belgium / Steven Gibens
53
1.
Introduction
53
2.
Short Description of Legal Aid and Legal Assistance in the Low Countries
53
2.1.
Netherlands
53
2.2.
Belgium
54
3.
Core Figures and Statistics
55
3.1.
Netherlands
55
3.2.
Belgium
57
4.
Possible Threats in the Field of Legal Aid
60
4.1.
Netherlands
60
4.1.1.
Cutbacks during 2008 and 2010
60
4.1.2.
Salduz
60
4.1.3.
Consultation Paper 2011
61
4.1.4.
Possible Detrimental Consequences to Supply of the Cutback Measures
62
4.2.
Belgium
63
4.2.1.
Report for the Minister in 2012
63
4.2.2.
Memorandum from the Core Cabinet in 2013
64
4.2.3.
Proposals for Reform: Will the System be Revamped?
65
5.
Possible Threats in the Field of Legal Assistance
66
5.1.
Netherlands
66
5.2.
Belgium
67
6.
Conclusion
68
Appendix. The Implemented and Planned Cutback Measures in the Netherlands in Chronological Order
70
ch. 5
Every Little Helps? / Mies Westerveld
73
1.
Introduction
73
2.
Dutch Legal Aid System: Some Additional Data
74
3.
2008--2013: From Savings to a New Approach to Access to Justice
77
4.
Vulnerable Groups and Access to Justice: the Multiple Claimant Phenomenon
78
5.
Multiple Certificate Pilot: Structure and Preparations
80
6.
Initial Results
81
7.
Conclusions
82
ch. 6
Galanter Revisited: Do the 'Haves' (Still) Come out Ahead? / Bert Niemeijer
85
1.
Introduction
85
2.
Why Haves Come out Ahead
87
2.1.
Importance of Repeat-Playing
87
2.2.
Passivity and Workload of Courts
87
2.3.
Better Access to Better Lawyers
88
2.4.
Favourable Rules
88
3.
Social Change by Law?
88
4.
Do the Haves in Fact Come out Ahead?
89
4.1.
Empirical Evidence
89
4.2.
Government as the Ultimate Repeat-Player
90
4.3.
Complications and New Questions
91
5.
What Difference do Lawyers Make?
92
6.
Do Repeat-Players Come out Ahead in Out-of-Court Settings?
93
7.
Relevant Research in the Netherlands
96
7.1.
Access to Legal Services
96
7.2.
Explanation of Dispute Behaviour
96
7.3.
Dealing with Legal Problems
98
8.
(Legal) World has Profoundly Changed
99
8.1.
Social Changes
99
8.2.
Changed Landscape of Dispute Institutions
99
8.3.
Legal Services
100
8.4.
Rule Change
100
8.5.
Parties
101
9.
Galanter Revisited
101
pt. 3
LEGAL AID IN SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS
103
ch. 7
Providing Legal Aid in Asylum Procedures in the Netherlands: A Challenging Business? / Tamara Butter
105
1.
Introduction
105
2.
Practice Area of Asylum Law in the Netherlands
107
3.
Institutional Context
108
3.1.
Legal Aid System
108
3.2.
Requirements for Legal Aid Providers under the Legal Aid Scheme
109
3.3.
Asylum Procedure
110
3.3.1.
Main Actors and Institutions in the Asylum Procedure
110
3.3.2.
Asylum Procedure
110
3.3.3.
General Asylum Procedure and the Lawyer's Role
110
3.3.4.
Appeal Procedures and Time Limits
112
3.4.
Process of Appointment
112
3.5.
Remuneration of Legal Aid Providers
113
4.
Key Issues Arising from the Institutional Context
113
4.1.
Short Time Limits
114
4.2.
Payment System Based on Fixed Fees
116
4.2.1.
Is the Fixed Fee an Issue?
117
4.2.2.
Two or Three Cases in a Set?
118
5.
Coping Strategies in the General Asylum Procedure
119
6.
Conclusion
120
ch. 8
Access to Legal Services for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses / Marc Hertogh
123
1.
Introduction
123
2.
Factors Influencing Access to Legal Services
124
2.1.
Visibility
125
2.2.
Price
125
2.3.
Services
125
2.4.
Impact of the Legal System
126
2.5.
Impact of Legal Aid Insurance
126
2.6.
Image
127
3.
Procedural Justice
127
4.
Data Collection and Analysis
127
5.
Results
128
5.1.
Visibility
128
5.2.
Price
129
5.2.1.
Expertise
131
5.2.2.
Commitment
131
5.2.3.
Client's Interest vs. Own Interests
131
5.2.4.
Notifying the Client
132
5.2.5.
Communication
132
5.2.6.
Keeping to Agreements Made
132
5.2.7.
Reliability
132
5.2.8.
Impact of the Legal System
134
5.2.9.
Impact of Legal Aid Insurance
134
5.2.10.
Image
135
6.
Analysis: 'One-Shotters' and 'Repeat-Players' and the Importance of Procedural Justice
135
7.
Conclusion
138
ch. 9
Legal Aid and Housing Issues / Bernard Hubeau
141
1.
General Context: the Right to Housing (and the Right to Legal Assistance)
141
2.
Legal and Social 'Mapping' of Legal Aid in Housing Issues in Belgium
143
2.1.
Housing Market in Belgium
143
2.2.
Legal Context in the Flemish Region
143
2.3.
Tenant Unions (Huurdersbonden)
144
2.4.
In the Social (Public) Renting Sector
147
2.5.
Housing Shops
147
2.6.
Social Renting Offices (Sociale verhuurkantoren)
148
2.7.
Coordination Structure for Tenant Organisations
148
3.
Legal and Social 'Mapping' of Legal Aid in Housing Issues in the Netherlands
149
3.1.
Housing Market in the Netherlands
149
3.2.
Dutch Housing Union (Nederlandse Woonbond)
151
3.3.
Rent Teams (Huurteams)
152
3.4.
Residents' Participation
153
3.5.
Social Counsellors
154
3.6.
Legal Services Counter
155
4.
Comments on the Characteristics of 'Good Legal Aid': Are they Met in Housing Issues?
156
4.1.
Characteristics in General
156
4.2.
Similarities between Belgium and the Netherlands
157
4.3.
Differences between Belgium and the Netherlands
159
4.4.
Housing Market and Effects 'On the Ground'
159
ch. 10
Legal Aid Provisions for Children and Juveniles: Formal and Quality Items / Eric Van der Mussele
161
1.
Introduction
161
2.
Certain Questions and Doubts
161
3.
International Legal Aid Provisions for Children and Juveniles: Formal and Quality Elements
164
3.1.
United Nations
164
3.2.
Council of Europe
164
3.2.1.
European Convention on Human Rights
164
3.2.2.
Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Child Friendly Justice
165
3.3.
European Union
165
3.3.1.
Directive on the Right of Access to a Lawyer in Criminal Proceedings and European Arrest Warrant Proceedings
165
3.3.2.
Directive of the European Parliament and Council of 25 October 2012 (2012/29/EU)
166
3.3.3.
Draft Directive (COM/2013/0822 of 27 November 2013) of the European Commission on Guarantees for Children in Criminal Procedures
166
3.3.4.
Draft Directive (COM/2013/0824 final-2013/0409 COD, of 27 November 2013) of the European Commission on Provisional Legal Aid for Suspects or Accused Persons Deprived of Liberty and Legal Aid in the European Arrest Warrant Proceedings
167
4.
Quality and Content Concerns for 'Child-Friendly' Legal Aid
167
4.1.
Task and Image of Youth Lawyers, as a Foundation for 'Child-Friendly' Advice and Assistance
167
4.2.
Professional Secrecy of Youth Lawyers
168
4.3.
'Child-Friendly' Initiatives in the Field of Practicing Youth Law
169
4.4.
'Child-Friendly' Legal Aid Initiatives and the National Bar Associations
169
5.
National Legal Aid Provisions
170
5.1.
Formal Legal Aid Institutions for Minors in Belgium and the Netherlands
170
5.2.
Quality Care of Legal Aid for Children in Belgium
173
5.3.
Quality Care of Legal Aid for Children in the Netherlands
176
6.
Final Considerations
178
Sources
179
ch. 11
Equal Access to Justice through the Right to Interpretation and Translation and Legal Aid / Yolanda Vanden Bosch
181
1.
Introduction
181
2.
Communication and Language
182
2.1.
Legal Language
182
2.2.
Language of the Proceeding
183
2.3.
Need for Qualified Interpreting and Translating
183
3.
First line Legal Aid and Legal Interpreting and Translating
185
3.1.
International Conventions
185
3.2.
European Union
186
3.3.
National Legislation in Belgium and the Netherlands
187
4.
Second line Legal Aid and Legal Interpreting and Translation
188
4.1.
International Requirements
188
4.1.1.
United Nations
188
4.1.2.
European Convention on Human Rights
188
4.1.3.
European Union
192
4.1.4.
Conclusions
195
4.2.
National Legislation in Belgium and the Netherlands
195
4.2.1.
Belgium
195
4.2.2.
Netherlands
199
5.
Some Empirical and Concrete Practical Concerns
201
5.1.
Right to Interpretation and Translation in First Line Legal Aid
201
5.2.
Language of Communication
203
5.3.
Quality Control of the Interpretation and Translation
204
5.4.
Training
204
5.5.
Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct
204
5.6.
Problem of Organisation and Budgets
204
5.7.
Training of the Legal Aid Provider
205
6.
Conclusions
205
ch. 12
Right to Legal Aid According to the European Court of Human Rights: A Study of the Rights of Undocumented Persons / Caroline Forder
209
1.
Case Study
209
2.
Legal Claims of Undocumented Persons
210
3.
Who are Undocumented Persons?
211
4.
International Legal Rules regarding the Entitlement to Legal Aid
214
4.1.
Right to Legal Aid
216
4.2.
Duty of the State to Provide Legal Aid in Civil Cases Depends on the Circumstances
218
4.3.
Criteria Indicating for or against a Right to Legal Aid
219
4.3.1.
Legal Requirement for Legal Representation
219
4.3.2.
Complexity of Proceedings
219
4.3.3.
Degree of Difficulty of the Case
219
4.3.4.
Emotional Involvement
221
4.3.5.
Fact that the Other Party is Legally Represented and/or has Legal Aid
221
4.3.6.
'No Arguable Ground'
222
4.3.7.
Case 'Lacks Reasonable Prospects of Success'
222
4.3.8.
Fairness of the Proceedings must be Judged on their Entirety
223
4.3.9.
Subject Matter of Proceedings 'Not of Sufficient Substance'
224
4.3.10.
Vulnerable Persons and Particularly Invasive Proceedings affecting Article 8 Rights
224
5.
Application of the European Court's Rules to Claims by Undocumented Persons
226
Jurisprudence
228
ch. 13
Differential Treatment: Do Lawyers Make the Difference? / Ashley Terlouw
231
1.
Introduction
231
2.
What is Specific about Equal Treatment Cases?
233
3.
Broad Spectrum of Legal Aid Providers in Equal Treatment Cases
236
4.
What do Lawyers Contribute?
237
5.
Access to Lawyers and Problems for Lawyers
238
5.1.
Money
239
5.2.
Knowledge
241
5.3.
Availability and Availability of Alternatives
242
5.4.
Trust, Expectations and Distance
244
5.5.
Filtering
246
6.
How to Improve Access to Justice: What is the Role of Lawyers in this Respect?
248
7.
Analyses
249
pt. 4
ETHICAL QUESTIONS
253
ch. 14
Modernising the Napoleonic Structure of Bar Regulation / Leny de Groot-van Leeuwen
255
1.
Introduction
255
2.
Searching for a Balance between Government Control and Self-Regulation: Theoretical Notions
257
3.
Reform in Belgium
260
4.
Reform in the Netherlands
261
5.
Converging Developments
263
6.
Differences between the Two Countries in Light of the Theory
264
7.
Conclusions
266
8.
Epilogue
267
ch. 15
Independence of the Lawyer in the Netherlands and Belgium and Conflict of Interest / Edward Janssens
269
1.
Introduction
269
2.
Basic Principles concerning Lawyers' Independence and the Obligation to Avoid Conflicts of Interest
269
2.1.
Independence
270
2.2.
Obligation to Avoid Conflict of Interest
270
3.
Independence of the Lawyer
271
3.1.
Structural and Organisational Independence
271
3.1.1.
Independence from the Legislator
271
3.1.2.
Independence of the Executive
273
3.1.3.
Independent from the Judicial Power
276
3.2.
Independence of the Lawyer Himself
277
4.
Conflict of Interest
277
5.
Conclusion
281
ch. 16
Legal Aid and Pro Bono Work: Part of the Essence of Lawyering? / Stefan Rutten
283
1.
Participating in Second line Legal Aid Programs vs. Pro Bono Work
284
2.
Historical and Ethical Basis of Pro Bono Work Sensu Lato
284
3.
Mandatory Pro Bono Work Sensu Stricto and Sensu Lato under Current Belgian Law
285
4.
Arguments in the Discussion about a Mandatory Pro Bono Obligation
287
5.
Acting Pro Bono: A Professional Obligation for Every Lawyer
289
pt. 5
ALTERNATIVES
291
ch. 17
Socio-Legal Services: The Link between Legal Aid and Social Work in a Democratic Market / Steven Gibens
293
1.
Introduction
293
2.
General Context: The Evolution of the Legal Assistance Market -- A Place for Social Legal Services?
293
2.1.
Evolution of Legal Aid
293
2.2.
Social Work and Legal Aid: A Profile
295
2.3.
Socio-Legal Services in a Democratic Market
296
3.
Between Legal Assistance and Social Work: Is there a Common Market?
297
3.1.
(Democratic) Market of Socio-Legal Services
297
3.2.
Is the Legal Market for People in Need Democratic?
301
4.
What Should a Model of Integration between Legal Aid and Social Work Ideally Look Like?
303
5.
Conclusion
305
ch. 18
E-Justice in the Low Countries / Koen Van Aeken
307
1.
Introduction
307
2.
Definitions and Research Strategy
309
3.
Empirical Research
310
3.1.
Belgium
310
3.1.1.
Actual Online Services
310
3.1.2.
Political Developments in Belgium
311
3.2.
Netherlands
312
3.2.1.
Current Online Services
312
3.2.2.
Political Developments in the Netherlands
314
3.3.
EU
314
4.
Towards Explaining the Current State of E-justice in Belgium and the Netherlands
315
4.1.
Judicial Culture
316
4.2.
Legal Statism
318
4.3.
Origins in the Commercial Domain
319
5.
Opportunities and Limits of E-justice
321
5.1.
Benefits and Opportunities: The Internal Dimension
321
5.2.
Benefits and Opportunities: The External Dimension
323
5.3.
Limits and Challenges: An Internal Perspective
324
5.4.
Limits and Challenges: An External Perspective
326
6.
Legal Aid Policy, the State and E-justice
326
Legislation
328
CONCLUSION
329
ch. 19
Stepping Stones towards a Sound Legal Aid System in the Future: Concluding Remarks / Bernard Hubeau
331
1.
Systems of Legal Aid in Belgium and the Netherlands Compared
331
2.
Are the Five Conditions for Sound Legal Aid Systems Met?
333
3.
Ethical Considerations: What is Quality and How to Detect Unqualified Lawyers?
335
4.
Alternatives and Solutions: Heading to a Multi-Level Approach?
338
5.
Future of Legal Aid in the Low Countries
339
Bibliography
343