Issues of Implementing the Right to Receive Free Legal Assistance in the Russian Legislation
Authors: Aleksandrova Nadezhda V. 
Published: December 2024

In the system of public relations, the issues of realizing the right to receive free legal aid for special categories of citizens (the disabled, the poor, the incapacitated) who need support from the state are relevant. The problem is also increasing in modern conditions, when the list and categories of citizens are expanding due to the special conditions for fulfilling national tasks. Lawyers, notaries, law officers, representatives of state and regional authorities participate in the mechanism of support for citizens. The scope of legal assistance makes it possible to realize citizens' rights in the exercise of their rights to housing, education, medical care, health protection, social and pension coverage, etc. Involvement of non-governmental organizations in this work makes it possible to make this system more effective and expand the opportunities for providing assistance to socially vulnerable citizens in remote regions and subjects. The purpose of the study is to examine the issues of realizing the right to receive free legal assistance in the Russian legislation and the specifics of consolidating regulatory provisions in regional acts. Materials and methods. The work uses methods of general scientific and particular analysis, systemic, structural ones, those of generalization and comparison, which made it possible to identify the specifics of the subject under study and to formulate general conclusions for studying the problematic aspects of the legal institute of free legal aid. When studying the issues raised, the norms of federal laws and regional acts, scientific literature and scientific publications were used. Results. The scientific problem under study arises due to insufficiency and imperfection of organizational and legal measures and mechanisms to realize the right of citizens to qualified legal assistance in the Russian Federation and at the level of its subjects, in particular for special categories of citizens (the disabled, the poor, the incapacitated) who need support from the state, for example, in the exercise of their rights for housing, education, medical care, health protection, social and pension coverage, etc. The regional practice of applying the law of the Chuvash Republic «On Free Legal Aid in the Chuvash Republic» and in other regions is given as an example. Based on the study of scientific opinions on these issues, understanding of one of the main tasks in this area is presented – this is a stable legal model of relations between citizens, the society and the state, and the study of regional acts gave the opportunity to emphasize from a practical point of view the importance of the fact that it is the action of federal and regional legislation that creates a unified and integrated system of the institute of free legal aid for those who especially need it. This is the right of citizens and a guarantee of getting it at the state level and constitutional consolidation. The federal legislation on free legal aid laid down only minimum standards for providing such assistance, while most of the legal relations should be regulated by regional acts and laws. Conclusions. As a result of examining the issues of realizing the right to receive free legal assistance in Russian legislation, it is possible to note their legal, general theoretical and practical significance in the matter of qualified legal assistance to certain categories of citizens, as well as to those who particularly need such assistance due to various life circumstances. This conclusion is due to the fact that free legal aid is primarily a task of the state, and it is connected with the improvement of the legal institution of free legal aid and the development of legal literacy, awareness and legal consciousness of citizens.