The Halina Nieć Legal Aid Centre is a non-governmental, a-political and non-profit organization, located in Cracow in Poland. The Centre was established in 2002 by young seasoned lawyers, graduates of  the Jagiellonian University, led by Dr Halina Nieć, with the aim to promote the respect for human rights, provide free of charge legal assistance and implement programs in the field of education and democratization. After Dr Nieć’s untimely death the organization kept her as a patron.

The founding idea which gave rise to the establishment of the Centre was the effective use of enthusiasm of young lawyers for the assistance to individuals threatened by social exclusion and protection of human rights through legal aid, monitoring, research, professional trainings and information campaigns.

The Centre is also very active in the field of counteracting racism and xenophobia.

The Centre conducts regular monitoring the reception and detention centres as well as the borders with the aim of verifying the access of aliens to the territory of the Republic of  Poland and asylum procedure.

Since 2003 the Centre is an exclusive implementing partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR – office in Poland).

Statute to download

Main activities of the Centre are:

• Free of charge legal aid to the indigent,
• Protection of individuals threatened with social exclusion, including refugees,
• Legal education in the field of human rights, refugee law, human trafficking,
• Combating discrimination through legal assistance to individuals, social campaigns, monitoring and advocacy,
• Preventing human and child trafficking,
• Monitoring human rights abuses.

Beneficiaries of the Halina Nieć Legal Aid Centre:

-   Aliens in need of protection, including asylum seekers and refugees

-   Indigent persons in need of legal assistance in the field of civil and family law

- Victims and potential victims of human trafficking, other vulnerable groups (unaccompanied minors, victims of trauma and violence, disabled, elderly)

Moreover the Centre focuses on preparing educational programs and carrying out specialized trainings in the field of human rights. These trainings include the following groups :

- Students, especially law students and international relations students and young graduates of law,

- General public - the Centre conducts public information campaigns focusing on different social problems and promoting respect for human rights,

- Expert trainings - for officials, Border Guard and the Police.

Cooperation:

The Centre is an exclusive implementing partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Poland, and cooperates with a number of NGOS in Poland and abroad.

The Legal Aid Centre also implements programs based on EU funding - in partnership with Polish Humanitarian Organization  (EQUAL).

You can help:

The Halina Nieć Legal Aid Center as a non-profit organization which implements its statutory goals using grants and donations both from companies and individuals. Now you can support us by making a payment to our bank account, which is:

Centrum Pomocy Prawnej im. Haliny Nieć

Ul. Krowoderska 11/7

31-141 Kraków

Bank account no: 65 1160 2202 0000 0000 4950 8531

Bank Millennium S.A.