SEEKING NATIONALITY THE JUDICIAL ODYSSEY OF APPLICANTS they do not include any parties, authorities, or individuals who might possess data and information with historical or social value as to benefit the case. This also applies to investigations requested by the state while it is preparing its counter argument in nationality lawsuits because, in most of the cases, these investigations do not yield any new information. Furthermore, the Committee of Cases often claims that the investigations have no reliable probative value, especially if the investigations do not serve the interests of the state. However, in nationality lawsuits, courts conduct investigations by themselves although they are usually not extensive. Another reason for the long unreasonable court proceedings is related to the State attitude in delaying receiving courts’ notifications and submitting its counter arguments. The State using its power manipulates the notification procedures, in violation of legal principle of fair trials, in order to give itself more time to present its counter arguments. This leads to delaying all processes, such as interlocutory decisions, hearings, investigations, and others, to indefinite time limits. Futile Responses and Counter arguments Another objective factor is related to the court proceedings with regard to the substance of the lawsuits, particularly in nationality lawsuits. In many cases the State’s attorney counter arguments are void of substantive legal grounds, or they do not relate to the facts. This indicates that the State treats these lawsuits lightly and seems to aim only to systematically refuse the requests regardless if they are eligible or not. In Conclusion, stateless persons today have one available solution to end their statelessness - the legal solution. Yet, this solution is available in legal books but in practice it is a tedious and hardship solution. The scope of the obstacles and difficulties makes stretching from lack of information about the judicial proceedings and procedures; the lack of proof evidence to support their claim due to lack of the necessary adequate documentation; the lack of financial means to bear the cost of lawyers and court proceedings and particularly the cost of DNA tests; the long delays of court proceedings and the different interpretations of laws by different courts makes it quasi-impossible and/or very difficult for the Applicants to obtain a fair court ruling, which demoralize the Applicants and force them to lose faith that they have the opportunity to end their statelessness through the courts. Therefore, in addition to the need to address the issues related to the courts proceedings to ensure fair and just trials, it becomes obvious that although the judicial solution is available to the individuals, it is clear that this solution is not enough as it requires that the Lebanese authorities develop a comprehensive legal framework that tackles the phenomenon from all legal, social, and economic angles with the aim to prevent and eradicate statelessness in Lebanon. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the Lebanese State to put the issue of statelessness as a priority on its political agenda, and that, as a first step to set a clear policy to shift the focus from the judiciary towards prevention and protection from statelessness We therefore recommend the Lebanese government to: 1) Develop a legal protection system that include stateless identification and determination System to identify the profile and volume of stateless persons and provide them with documents that prove their identity and give them as minimum right of legal personality and identity. This shall allow the Lebanese government to identify the stateless persons and develop necessary policies and comprehensive solutions. 2) Enact a comprehensive, unified, modern, and automated system for the registration of civil status events that ensures the incorporation of all events for all regardless of nationality or legal status. 3) Develop State Legal aid system available to all marginalized and vulnerable populations. The system should cover all legal proceedings such as DNA tests requested by the judges, Sharia prove of marriage and kinship; 4) Establish legal aid advisory bureaus in all regions to advise individuals on laws and procedures related to matters that concern them. SEEKING NATIONALITY | IN CONCLUSION FRONTIERS RIGHTS In the immediate future, the Lebanese government should: 5) Issue a law suspending the birth registration legal delays giving a two-year grace period for individuals who neglected to register on time to regularize administratively their late birth registration. • Ensure that the judiciary respect and implement the fair trial principles, particularly the respect for the legal delays for acknowledging case submission for their reviews and delays to send their replies. 90