SAINT Lucia’s Legal Aid Authority, established to provide access to justice for citizens who are unable to afford, marks 13 years of committed service this month.
It was on 21st November, 2011, that the Authority opened its doors to begin the important mission of the Legal Aid Act Saint Lucia No. 6 of 2008. That is, to provide for “the grant by the State of Legal Aid and Advice to persons of insufficient means in civil and criminal cases.”
The Act established the Saint Lucia Legal Aid Authority to be administered by a seven-member Board, comprising a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson; and five other members, all appointed by the Minister responsible for Justice.
A new board was appointed in July for a three-year term. It is chaired by Attorney Nicholas Jean Baptiste, with Sylma Finisterre, also an Attorney, as Deputy Chairperson. Other members of the board are: Perry Thomas, Yolanda Jules-Louis, Alina Auguste, Attorney Ann-Alicia Fagan and David Vitalis.
Director of the Legal Aid Authority, Ms Samanthia George, an Attorney-at-Law, who has held the post from the time the Authority opened its doors, manages the Authority’s day-to-day business. For the first five years, she was the only staff member.
In 2017, another Attorney, Mr Kerron Bruney, was added to the staff complement. After a few years, Mr. Bruney migrated to Dominica and was replaced by Mr. Maurice Compton. Two support staff were later added, but have moved on as well. At present, there are two other support staff, namely Ms Anne Marie Joseph/Clerk Typist, and Ms Bianca St. Remy/Office Clerk.
To qualify for legal aid, clients are screened for the legal services they may need. These services are offered for a small fee. They include Legal Letters, Notices of Eviction, Warning Letters and Statutory Declarations. Last WILL and Testament, Divorce, Deed Polls/Change of Name, Mediation, Small Succession, and Letters of Administration are also part of the services of Legal Aid at peppercorn fees, compared to private attorney’s fees, but consultation is free and appointments have to be scheduled.
While the Authority is grateful for the Attorneys presently on staff, the workload continues to be overwhelming and the backlog of cases is high. The process is underway to add a third Attorney to the staff this month.
Legal Aid plans, in the near future, to transition to a ‘Department’ of government, with a full complement of staff. A Legal Aid Clinic is being considered for next year.
The Legal Aid Authority has established strict qualifying criteria for an applicant desirous of legal aid representation. These are: salary must not exceed $10,000 and the case being pursued must be worthy of going to the court of law.
At 13, the Legal Aid Authority has earned its place on our country’s legal landscape. Though the Authority needs much more financial resources to fulfil its mandate, credit is due to succeeding governments who continue to appreciate the need for such an institution that empowers citizens who lack the financial means to seek justice, and to private Lawyers who do pro bono work on behalf of the poor, the underprivileged, the vulnerable, and juveniles who qualify for legal aid.