Led by CLDH’s Executive Director Fadel Fakih and the head of the Tripoli Bar Association Sami Merei Al-Hassan, the cooperation agreement ceremony was held in the presence of Professor Raymond Khattar, Director of Legal Aid and Judicial Assistance Center, Tracy Khoury, CLDH Tripoli Coordinator, Attorney Dr. Issam Sbat, and a delegation from France's Lyon Bar Association.
CLDH stresses the importance of the Bar Association’s work, which includes securing legal aid and ensuring the equal protection of rights for all individuals on Lebanese territory. Additionally, it aims to strengthen the implementation of Article 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which concerns responding to requests for legal aid. Through ongoing cooperation and collaboration with Bar Associations and stakeholders, the Center supports the adoption of a law on securing judicial aid and ensuring that the Lebanese state fulfills its responsibility to uphold the rights of all residents of Lebanon. This includes the right to fair and impartial trials and the right to appoint a lawyer to defend the individual at all stages of interrogations and trials.
CLDH believes that working with Bar Associations is central to its mission and is fully committed to cooperating with the Tripoli Bar Association, the Beirut Bar Association, and members of parliament to enforce the law and support legislative efforts. It is the role of civil society organizations to support the state and its institutions, filling any gaps until they can operate independently.
As part of its ongoing cooperation initiatives to combat human rights violations, CLDH will continue to strengthen its relations with the Bar Associations in both Beirut and Tripoli.
