AMMAN —
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 dedication to the
UN’s sustainable development agenda
, Minister of State for Legal Affairs Wafaa Bani Mustafa said, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
She told a meeting
on legal aid in Amman on Wednesday 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 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 institutions 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.
Maha Al-Khatib,
chair of the Administrative Board of the
Justice Center for Legal Aid, said
that the gathering is a call to the various stakeholders to continue dialogue
to achieve the noble goal of ensuring that no one is denied access to justice.
She cautioned that
failing to meet the needs of the weak and helpless “places us in a position of
great social, legal, and moral responsibility.”
Khatib 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 explained that
only 3 percent of violence victims seek legal counsel, so it is necessary to
improve access to justice and promote the rule of law.
The resident
representative of the UN Development Program in Jordan,
Randa Aboul-Hosn, said
that access to justice is a fundamental right. She said that legal aid has been
recognized since the 1990s and that everyone has the right to seek legal
assistance in all stages of litigation 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 their means and
background, have access to legal representation to protect their rights before
the law.
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.
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