Study Findings on Access to Legal Services Presented

On April 16, the findings of a study titled “Access to Legal Services and the Assessment of Access to Justice in the Context of Increased Tax Burden” were presented in Yerevan.

In her opening remarks, Araks Melkonyan, President of the “Protection of Rights Without Borders” NGO, noted that the study aims to analyze how recent tax changes affect access to legal aid, the ability to exercise the right to judicial protection, the protection of vulnerable groups, and access to justice overall.

Nina Hakobyan, lawyer and researcher at PRWB, presented the key findings of the study. According to the research, following the tax changes, the legal services market has undergone notable shifts: service prices have increased, the number of individual practitioners has declined, and the market has become more concentrated around larger law firms. She also emphasized that the volume of pro bono services has decreased, making legal assistance less accessible, particularly for vulnerable groups. While certain mitigating mechanisms have been introduced, they have not fully addressed the challenges in practice.

The study further highlights that these changes are occurring alongside other developments, such as increased state duties, reduced geographical accessibility of courts, and the digitalization of judicial processes, which together make it more difficult for citizens to exercise their rights. Existing support mechanisms, including the public defender system, are not sufficient to offset these challenges, resulting in access to justice becoming more costly and less attainable for many.

It is important to note that no comprehensive impact assessment was conducted by the Government either before or after the tax reform, despite the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia guaranteeing the right to legal assistance.

Harut Aklunts, First Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, presented the Chamber’s position, addressing key challenges in the sector, the negative consequences of the tax reform, and potential solutions.

The discussion brought together experts, legal professionals, and other stakeholders, who shared their perspectives on key issues related to access to justice.

The study was conducted by the “Protection of Rights Without Borders” NGO with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).