Cooperation on the study of advanced international best practices in the field of judicial and legal affairs continues to be actively developed. In this regard, on March 25–26 of the current year, a regional seminar was held in Budva, Montenegro, organized by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) on the topic “Legal Aid: From the Regulatory Framework to Comparative Analysis and the Use of Data,” aimed at improving the efficiency of courts and proposing relevant solutions.

The seminar was attended by Farid Amirov, Head of Department of the Judicial-Legal Council Administration and CEPEJ National Coordinator for the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Elchin Usub, member of the Presidium of the Bar Association of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The main objective of the seminar was to support representatives of national institutions in interpreting the new indicators of CEPEJ’s updated Evaluation and Monitoring Scheme, identifying methodological challenges at an early stage, and enhancing the analytical use of legal aid data.

During the seminar, participants discussed key concepts of legal aid, including legal advice, document preparation, court representation, as well as digital and AI-based legal assistance. They also exchanged views on methodological and statistical challenges in the field. In addition, institutional models and processes for providing legal aid were presented, alongside discussions on the collection of statistical data related to different legal aid indicators.

The event was of particular importance in terms of improving the collection, sharing, and comparative analysis of accurate and reliable statistical data on legal aid, as well as facilitating valuable exchange of views and experiences on existing challenges in this field.