Justice for all: Workshop gathers vital input on proposed Public Defender's Act

PETALING JAYA: Input and views on the proposed Public Defender’s Act for criminal cases in Malaysia were gathered during an engagement session to improve legal aid services in the country, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) said the discussion included basic questions related to the suitability of such an Act.

“It also covered readiness towards its enactment, its limitations, advantages and challenges of implementation, as well as the need to establish a Public Defender’s Office in Malaysia.

“The objective of the session among others was to provide a platform to share knowledge and clarification on legal aid services in Malaysia, the issues and challenges faced as well as the direction of legal aid services for criminal cases in Malaysia,” she said in a statement on Tuesday (April 11).

The session was part of the Direction of Legal Aid Services for Criminal Cases in Malaysia workshop being held on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 12).

It is held in collaboration with the Legal Aid Department, National Legal Aid Foundation and Bar Council with stakeholders and experts at the Asian International Arbitration Centre to gather feedback to improve legal aid in the interests of effective justice.

“The workshop provided a platform for effective interaction with stakeholders and (sharing) expertise among ministries, departments, government agencies related to NGOs, civil society organisations, legal practitioners and academics on policy issues related to the drafting of the Public Defender's Act.

“The government places great emphasis on the continuous involvement of all parties in ensuring an effective system in providing legal aid services for Malaysians in need,” she said.

Legal aid is an important component to uphold justice but not every Malaysian can afford legal costs, she added.

Existing legal aid services need to be empowered to improve their quality and accessibility, especially to the B40 group, she said.

As such, Azalina said legal aid and advisory services for criminal cases should be accessible to every Malaysian as well as foreign national children during arrest, remand, bail application and mitigation by lawyers.

At present, there are several legal aid service providers for criminal cases in Malaysia including the Legal Aid Department (JBG); Legal Aid Centre operated by the Bar Council; National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK); and the Legal Aid Clinic run by universities.