The Legal Aid Commission will launch its new 3‑year strategic plan which aims to increase the Commission’s effectiveness in providing access to justice to poor and vulnerable Fijians who cannot afford private lawyers.
The 2019 ‑ 2021 strategic plan will be officially launched by the Attorney‑General and Minister for Justice, Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum, at the first‑ever Pacific Legal Aid Conference on 21 August 2019 organised by the Legal Aid Commission.
Chairman of the Legal Aid Commission Sharvada Sharma, says he is proud to be associated with such a noble organisation which is, in fact, the largest law firm in Fiji and commend the work of its staff in ensuring that they continue to promote greater access to justice for all Fijians, as enshrined in the Constitution.
Legal Aid Commission Director, Shahin Ali says the Commission has maintained international best practices and standards by adhering to the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems.
The Commission’s strategic approach includes the provision and extension of a number of legal aid services in criminal, family and civil matters to Fijians who were deprived in the past because of affordability and location.
This includes free legal advice, representation in court, first‑hour services, certification and witnessing of documents, creation of wills and community awareness programs which help Fijians understand their legal rights.
The Commission’s Plan is also in line with the Government’s policy of taking essential services to the most rural and remote areas of Fiji thereby making access to justice a reality.
Ali says this 3‑year strategic plan provides the Commission with a solid and strategic direction in terms of effectively fulfilling their mandate adding they want to ensure that every Fijian gets justice regardless of their socio‑economic status, ethnicity, gender or location.
A major component of the Commission’s future plans is the ability to adapt to technology.
Ali says they have recently launched their Facebook page to increase their digital footprint and disseminate their message to the large Fijian audience that uses this platform.
He says they now take issues and complaints directly on Facebook and will soon launch a new website to make accessing their information and services even easier for Fijians.
The Legal Aid Commission is a statutory body formed under the Legal Aid Act 1996 and the Legal Aid Amendment Act 2009 and has been given constitutional recognition.
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