Giving Assistance To OBH, Kemenkumham Hopes People Easily Get Free Legal Aid

Menkumham Yasonna H. Laoly/photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) is running a legal aid program for the poor again this year.

This assistance is channeled through 619 legal aid organizations (OBH) that have passed verification and accreditation as legal aid providers.

Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly revealed that this program is an effort by the government to implement the principle of justice for the poor. Given, when dealing with the law, not all people have the ability to finance legal aid.

"This legal aid demonstrates the role of the state in protecting and guaranteeing citizens' human rights to access to justice and equality before the law," Yasonna said in a statement, Tuesday, February 8.

For people who want to get legal aid must meet a number of requirements. This includes submitting an application orally or in writing containing the identity of the applicant and a brief description of the problem.

Then submit documents related to the case. Then, attach a poverty certificate from the lurah, village head, or an official at the same level as the legal aid applicant's place of residence.

More detailed mechanisms and terms and a list of OBH providing legal aid can be found on the bphn.go.id website.

Yasonna continued, hundreds of OBH who were given legal aid budgets for the poor were obliged to provide litigation and non-litigation legal assistance to the community. Litigation cases are settled through the courts, while non-litigation cases are settled out of court, for example through negotiation or mediation.

The PDIP politician emphasized that the main purpose of the legal aid program is to provide assistance to people in need. Thus, he reminded OBH not to seek profit.

"Please set aside seeking profit in legal aid programs," said Yasonna.

Yasonna asked all OBH to maintain integrity and provide the best service to the poor until the cases handled were permanent. Yasonna believes that the OBH who have been selected through this verification and accreditation will have guaranteed credibility.

"I believe that 619 legal aid organizations that have passed verification and accreditation are credible legal aid providers and are impossible to do things that violate the law," he said.

However, if in the implementation of legal aid services in the future it is found violations of legal aid service standards by OBH, then the Ministry of Law and Human Rights will take firm action. Actions can range from budget reductions to revocation of accreditation.