Language is a critical factor to enhance the legitimacy of courts and national human rights institutions in the eyes of national minorities. Other concerns, however, should be addressed too. The Ljubljana Guidelines note that “[s]ymbols, such as flags, signs, statues, monuments, place and street names, commemorative occasions or holidays, historical sites and burial sites, can have profound meanings related to identity. Symbols can have a powerful impact on social relations, and can be used to promote inclusion and cohesion as well as separation and division.”27 Care should be taken to ensure that the facilities used and the symbols displayed in courts, tribunals, prosecution offices and national human rights bodies are appropriate for the administration of justice and do not unnecessarily foster a feeling of exclusion on the part of national minorities or cause offence and provoke tensions with them. Lastly, persons belonging to minority communities who testify in court should be allowed to choose a form of oath that they consider appropriate for their religious and cultural identity. 4. States should make legal assistance available to national minorities in a way that addresses the obstacles they face in accessing justice. Persons belonging to national minorities, who may be socio-economically marginalized or have a limited knowledge of official languages, require assistance because they may not know or understand their rights, the law, legal procedure or the language of the court. Persons belonging to national minorities, and minority women in particular, may not have sufficient financial means to afford court fees or legal representation. They may live far from judicial institutions, making it more difficult for them to pursue cases. Without assistance, minority communities may perceive the judiciary as out of reach, alien or even biased against them. Such a perception can make them feel at a disadvantage as a community, contributing to negative views of the State and its institutions and potentially increasing tensions with the majority. 27 20 HCNM (2012) Ljubljana Guidelines, explanatory note to Recommendation 50. The Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and National Minorities