Independence of lawyers and guarantees for their functioning

In order for legal assistance to be effective, it must be carried out independently. This is recognised in the preface to the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (UN Basic Principles), which states that “adequate protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms to which all persons are entitled, be they economic, social and cultural, or civil and political, requires that all persons have effective access to legal services provided by an independent legal profession”