Refugee Legal Aid Resources

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The Nairobi Code

 

Model Rules of Ethics for Legal Advisors in Refugee Cases

 

 

Rule 2: DEFINITIONS

2.1 The term “legal advisor” refers to any person providing advice and/or representation to people seeking recognition as refugees, or to people who have been recognized as refugees and are seeking other assistance.

2.2 The term “services” refers to the advice, document preparation, and/or representation that a legal adviser may provide.

2.2.1 “Advice” includes providing an opinion about how law or policy applies to a particular person’s circumstances.

2.2.2 “Document preparation” includes assisting a person in preparing written documents in the person’s own name, including but not limited to personal testimonies, that are intended for submission in support of an RSD or other application.

2.2.3 “Representation” includes acting on behalf of a another person either orally or in writing, including the submission of memoranda arguing that a person meets legal criteria for refugee status or communicating with UNHCR or other bodies on a client's behalf about his or her case.

2.3 The term “client” refers to a person to whom a legal adviser has agreed to provide services and who voluntarily accepts those services.

2.4 The term “prospective client” refers to a person who has sought services from a legal adviser but to whom the adviser has not yet agreed to provide services.

 

 

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RSDWatch.org

An independent source of information about the way the UN refugee agency decides refugee cases.

 

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