Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, has established the Legal Aid Commission's (LAC) Public Defenders' Division (PDD).
The PDD offers free legal assistance to the poor and underprivileged who are charged with crimes throughout the nation.
It will offer legal assistance to defendants who cannot afford a lawyer as one of the three sections of the revitalized commission established by the new Legal Aid Commission Act, 2018 (Act 977).
The Citizens Advisory (CAD) and Alternative Dispute Divisions (ADD) are the commission's two divisions.
Act 977, in contrast to the previous legal aid programme, requires a public defender, a lawyer appointed by the state, to give legal assistance to an accused individual as soon as while they are detained, represent them in court, and handle any appeals that may be necessary.
By establishing the PDD, the 1992 Constitution's Articles 14, 17, and 19, which protect individual liberties, advance equality and freedom, and make a fair trial a fundamental component of the legal system, as well as Article 294—which commands the state to advance access to justice by providing legal services for the underprivileged—will all be further carried out.
Support
The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), a division of the US Department of Justice, assisted the PDD's founding by offering technical support.
The US has previously given the commission 54 laptops as part of the support.
Justice Nene Amegatcher, a Justice of the Supreme Court and LAC Board Chairman, as well as Deputy Attorney General Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Rachel Rossi, the Director of the US Department of Justice's Access to Justice Office (AJT), Ellen Sowa, the Ag. Executive Director of LAC, and Nelson M. Kporha, the Ag. Director of the PDD, all attended the launch.
The justice gap "not only affects those living in poverty, but also perpetuates poverty itself and comes at a great cost to the government," Mr. Dame said, adding that the PDD will assist expand access to justice and minimise disparities in society.
Free legal representation for the poor in matters involving denial of access to healthcare, for example, saves the state money and generates immeasurable benefits. However, Mr. Dame admitted that the commission encountered significant difficulties, most notably a lack of infrastructure, for which his organisation gave it 11 new vehicles and other office supplies while making steps to give it a new office space.
In order to assist the commission's work, he urged the general public to make a donation to the Legal Aid Fund established by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
concern for human rights
Access to justice, according to Justice Amegatcher, is a fundamental human right that shouldn't be reserved for the wealthy exclusively.
Because free legal services were previously only offered to the less fortunate on an as-needed basis, he claimed that the PDD's establishment was crucial. Justice Amegatcher said, "The result is that not every poor person who is charged with a crime and who wishes to be represented by a lawyer has such a chance."
Ms. Rossi praised the commission for the outstanding work it was doing to support society's most vulnerable members.
"It represented 47% more accused people in 2022 than in 2021."
"The five-year strategic plan of the commission is admirable," she remarked.
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