PUTRAJAYA, April 23 — The Legal Aid Department (JBG) has been advised not only to focus its legal services on criminal cases but also to continue playing a role in other cases.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said suggested this during the department’s monthly assembly today.
“We need to make policy changes in civil legal aid and criminal legal aid elements … so far, the role of criminal legal aid has been played by the National Legal Aid Foundation,” she said.
JBG was established to provide legal aid services to those eligible under the Legal Aid Act 1971, and through this service, financially disadvantaged individuals can access legal services from the government at lower rates than those offered by private lawyers.
JBG’s jurisdiction includes areas like legal advice and legal assistance in proceedings (litigation) such as criminal cases, civil cases, civil family matters, and Syariah family matters.
Separately, Azalina said the Parliamentary Services Bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament soon, would provide a new definition of the separation of powers between the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary branches of government.
“It means Parliament will have a more independent structure. Although its implementation will take time, amendments to the Federal Constitution and this act (Parliamentary Services Act) are the first step. My hope is that the Act will become a reality this year,” she said.
The Parliamentary Services Act was introduced in 1963, allowing Parliament to act as an independent body and manage its own affairs, including hiring and finances, but was repealed in 1992.
— Bernama
