His legal aid lawyer refused to raise this issue.

The author asked his legal aid lawyer to obtain his medical records from the hospital, but the lawyer allegedly refused to do so.

Three or four months later, a second lawyer agreed to represent him on a legal aid assignment.

He further claims that his legal aid lawyer advised him to plead guilty and that, when he refused, the lawyer failed to cross examine the witnesses.

Consequently, the author found a third lawyer, who was willing to represent him on a legal aid basis.

Legal Aid

In 2000, the Legal Aid Act was amended to provide for a Legal Aid Board and a Legal Aid Fund.

Legal aid applications

This Service complements the legal aid services provided by the Legal Aid Department.

Mr. Harvey submits that he was represented by a privately retained lawyer during the first trial, but that he depended on legal aid for the retrial.

The vast majority of the low income population, however, cannot afford to hire a lawyer, which means that they are in effect denied access to the legal system. (...) Venezuelan law does provide for the possibility of legal aid for persons who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.

9.1 In his response to the State party apos s submission, Mr. Wright reiterates that his legal aid counsel was absent at the preliminary hearing and that the magistrate should either have adjourned the hearing or provided him with a new legal aid lawyer.

The Legal Aid Services Council and the question of an independent statutory body for legal aid

Legal Aid Department 40 27

Legal aid in criminal cases

The establishment of an independent legal aid authority could actually jeopardise the interests of legal aid applicants.

(b) Legal counsel and, where necessary, sufficient legal aid

3.2 It is contended that Mr. Burrell apos s legal aid lawyer did not raise the irregularities in respect of Mr. Burrell apos s identification in the Court of Appeal.

Legal aid clinics, which offer legal and or psychological guidance.

Jerusalem Legal Aid Center (JLAC), Jerusalem

Legal Aid Services Council 42 28

8 Legal Aid Ordinance, section 18A.

The Legal Aid Services Council and the question of an independent statutory body for legal aid 231 232 80

Since 18 September 1989, the author has repeatedly been asking the authorities to assign him the third lawyer and has several times asked the other lawyer to notify the legal aid board that he is only willing to represent the author on a private basis.

(a) Legal aid applications are assessed by professional officers in strict accordance with the provisions of the Legal Aid Ordinance

At present, two legal aid centres for women are in operation i.e. the Legal Aid Centre for women under the Department of Legal Aid, Ministry of Justice and the Legal Counseling Office on gender equality under the Women's Union.

(a) State support for legal aid systems specializing in HIV AIDS casework, possibly involving community legal aid centres and or legal service services based in ASOs

Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling

Operation of the Legal Aid Services Council

6.5 The Committee took note of the author apos s claims that he was not adequately represented during trial, in particular that his legal aid lawyer did not represent him at the preliminary hearings, that he only met his lawyer a day before the trial and that his lawyer did not interview or call any witnesses.

Section 26A of the Legal Aid Ordinance provides that a legal aid applicant who has been refused legal aid for an appeal to the Court of Final Appeal may seek a review of such refusal.

As legal aid is publicly funded, the Director of Legal Aid must be satisfied that applicants are financially eligible and have reasonable grounds for bringing or defending the proceedings for which they are seeking legal aid.

Developing a legal aid system was not a priority in a least developed country however, legal aid was provided by some NGOs.

2.5 On 24 November 1998 and following a decision of the Provincial Court of 20 October 1998, the author was assigned a legal aid lawyer to prepare her appeal to the Supreme Court.

The author contends that the legal aid lawyer who was assigned to his case asked him for money, and since he did not have any, never visited him again to discuss the case.

Three months after his conviction, a legal aid lawyer, who had already represented him before the Assizes Court, was assigned to him in order to represent him again before the Court of Appeal.

9.5 The second issue to be determined is whether the author apos s legal aid lawyer for the appeal had a right to effectively abandon the appeal without prior consultation with the author.

Find who's handling her. Probably Legal Aid Society.

Indeed, research into the practices of other common law jurisdictions indicates that legal aid budgets for independent legal aid authorities are invariably finite.

While noting current endeavours to reform the system of legal aid, the Committee remains concerned about the state of current legal aid representation.

In 2002, we introduced a scheme whereby legal aid applicants who, having passed the Legal Aid Department's means test are refused legal aid, may obtain a counsel's certificate free of charge, and so to seek review of the decision to refuse aid before a Review Committee.

To that end, they interviewed the legal professional bodies, lawyers undertaking legal aid work, community groups, the clients and staff of the Legal Aid Department, and the general public.

It operates three schemes that respectively provide legal representation (the Duty Lawyer Scheme), legal advice (the Legal Advice Scheme) and legal information (the Tel Law Scheme).

After being charged with the offences, he was notified by the prosecutor of his right to be assisted by a lawyer of his choice, and it was because he did not avail himself of this opportunity that he was assigned a lawyer from legal aid to assist him during the trial.

Operation of the Legal Aid Services Council 238 82