The government is committed to expanding access to legal aid as a fundamental guarantee of a fair trial and as a key component of Jordan’s commitments under the United Nations’ sustainable development agenda, Minister of State for Legal Affairs Wafaa Bani Mustafa said Wednesday.
The Minister told a conference on legal aid in Amman that the Ministry of Justice had already established a directorate and a legal aid fund to ensure the sustainability of this type of assistance and not rely solely on volunteers.
The conference, organized by the Justice Center for Legal Aid, brought together government and civil society stakeholders to discuss how to standardize and regulate legal aid on a national scale in order to promote justice and equality for all.
Bani Mustafa emphasized that the government is committed to enhancing coordination between the Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Council, the Bar Association, and civil society in order to advance legal aid and guarantee citizens’ access to justice.
She expressed hope that the conference will produce a clear vision for developing legal aid services, providing protection for the vulnerable, especially children, victims of violence, and other high-risk groups, and allowing them to fully exercise their rights.
In turn, Maha Khatib, Chair of the Administrative Board of the Justice Center for Legal Aid, stated that this conference is a call to the various stakeholders to continue the dialogue in order to achieve the noble goal of ensuring that no one is denied access to justice, adding that failing to meet the needs of the weak and helpless “places us in a position of great social, legal, and moral responsibility.”
She explained that her center is pursuing a national legal aid system, noting that 70 percent of individuals appear in court without an attorney and one out of every five families is exposed to “legal issues.” She added that only 3 percent of violence victims seek legal counsel, so it was necessary to improve access to justice and promote the rule of law.
The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Jordan, Randa Aboul-Hosn, said that access to justice is a fundamental right, noting that legal aid has been recognized since the 1990s and that everyone has the right to seek legal assistance at all stages of litigation in order to protect and establish their rights.
She added that, according to the basic principles of the rule of law, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that everyone, regardless of means or background, has access to legal representation to protect their rights before the law.
Aboul-Hosn cited the 2011 adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, which requires member states to establish an accessible and reliable judicial system for all social groups, particularly children and women.
Legal aid, according to the UN official, includes free legal advice, assistance, and representation for those who cannot afford it, as well as access to legal information and services through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and restorative justice processes.
For her part, Bella Fernandez, a representative of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, underscored that the conference provides an opportunity to coordinate efforts to provide legal assistance to the most vulnerable groups, emphasizing that achieving this goal requires a public-private partnership that leverages the expertise and knowledge of the various stakeholders.
Source: Jordan News Agency