Penalization of people living in poverty 2011, para. 12
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A significant obstacle in breaking this cycle of penalization and poverty is the inability of persons living in poverty to access legal assistance, as they are unable to afford private legal representation and legal aid is often unavailable or inadequate. Without access to competent, comprehensive legal assistance, the poorest and most excluded are further disadvantaged in their dealings with authorities, not only when they are facing criminal charges, but also with respect to administrative procedures such as child protection cases, benefit fraud matters or eviction and immigration proceedings.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights