Over 10 000 apply for legal aid in 2023

Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab has revealed that her ministry, through its Directorate of Legal Aid, received over 10 000 applications from people seeking legal representation during the course of this year.

“With access to justice being an important pillar of our democracy, the ministry reports that we have received approximately 10 200 legal aid applications this year, with 7 500 granted and 2 700 denied,” Dausab said during the Cabinet committee briefing here on Monday.

She said N.dollars 35 million was allocated to the granting of legal aid to indigent litigants.

The minister further said the ministry of justice has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Law Society of Namibia for collaboration to enhance access to justice and improve service delivery.

The five-year agreement forms part of the Ministry of Justice’s quest to improve coordination with various Government offices, ministries and agencies, as well as non-governmental organisations, towards the provision of legal services and/or representation for the indigent.

“The areas covered in the MoU include, amongst others, the exchange of information, availing of capacity, and sharing of expertise and best practices on legal matters, promoting the development of the legal profession, and the protection of its integrity,” the minister said.

Dausab, who provided key highlights of the year, said the ministry has been actively engaged in exploring innovative ways to enhance court capacity.

These include the operationalisation of the Victim Friendly Court Facility to hear gender-based violence at the Katutura Magistrate’s Court.

The ministry has also started constructing a victim-friendly court in Keetmanshoop on land made available by the ||Kharas Regional Council, she said.

In line with the government internship programme, the Ministry of Justice has taken in over 200 law and administration interns to curb youth unemployment and give graduates some exposure to the employment market.

“This has proven an effective strategy, as many of them got employment opportunities either in the ministry or elsewhere,” Dausab said about the internship programme, which she said included 12 international interns from McGill University in Canada and three from the Michigan Law School in the United States of America.

(NAMPA)
AT/PS/AS
(NAMPA)