Lithuanian and Polish Ministers of Justice discussed cooperation and strengthening of legal aid
Minister of Justice Rita Tamašunienė met with Polish Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek and Deputy Minister of Justice Sławomir Pałka. During the meeting, they discussed the opportunities of cooperation of Lithuania and Poland, also paid much attention to primary and secondary legal aid, the penal enforcement system, and the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
“I am pleased that our relations with Poland are steadily strengthening. Poland is our strategic partner, therefore, we have many areas of cooperation – from improving the legal aid system to penal enforcement practice. I am grateful to the Minister for the warm and constructive meeting,” stressed the Minister of Justice.
According to the Minister, one of her key priorities is to ensure that high-quality, easily accessible and effective free legal aid is available to as many Lithuanian residents as possible.
“One of my priorities is to increase the accessibility of free primary and secondary legal aid in Lithuania. In Poland, there is active cooperation with universities in this area, much attention is paid to public legal education, which is why legal aid services reach a very large segment of the population. I would like us to apply these best practices even more widely in Lithuania and strengthen the legal aid system,” said the Minister.
In Lithuania, more than 37,000 residents used primary legal aid services in 2024 and more than 34,000 persons in 2025. In Poland, such aid benefits around 500,000 residents each year. As in Lithuania, free legal aid in Poland may be sought by low-income individuals. There are about 1,500 points across the country where residents can get legal aid or consultations.
During her visit, the Minister also visited the Probation Service where the electronic monitoring system and penal enforcement practice was presented. She was briefed on how individuals serving sentences outside of correctional facilities are supervised and how the work of the probation system is organised.
The Minister stressed that sharing best practice with Poland can help Lithuania further strengthen its justice system, modernise the penal enforcement practice and ensure more effective and humane penal enforcement measures.
Last updated: 17-03-2026