ABC de la Corte ENG v9

ABC of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights 2020 22 VIII. Inter-American Defender and Victims’ Legal Assistance Fund WHAT IS THE INTER-AMERICAN DEFENDER? The Inter-American Defender is a person or group of persons, appointed by the Court in cases in which the alleged victims do not have duly accredited legal representation. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PUBLIC DEFENDER? The Court has considered that for the effective defense of human rights and the consolidation of the Rule of Law, it is necessary that all people be assured the necessary conditions to be able to access both national and international justice and effectively assert their rights and liberties. Providing legal assistance to those who lack economic resources or legal representation, on the one hand, avoids discrimination in regards to access to justice by not making it dependent upon the economic position of the plaintiff, and on the other hand, allows a skillful and adequate defense in Court. WHAT IS THE VICTIMS’ LEGAL ASSISTANCE FUND? The Legal Assistance Fund of the Court seeks to facilitate access to the Inter-American System of Human Rights to those persons who do not currently have the necessary resources to bring their case to the System. Once a case has been submitted to the Court, every person who lacks the economic resources needed to settle the expenses they might incur in the process before the Court is able to request aid specifically from the Victims’ Fund. “The Court has considered that (…) it is necessary that all people be assured the necessary conditions to be able to access both national and international justice and effectively assert their rights and liberties.”