- A person who walks into an office of the Commission must first be received by a receiving officer.
- The next stage is to refer the applicant to an intake officer.
- All applicants must complete a form.
- The form incorporates a means test by which the commission determines the eligibility of the client.
- Once the applicant is eligible for the services of Legal Aid, further assessment would be done to determine which division in the Commission would be responsible for the applicant’s case.
YES. According to the law………………………(state the law ), every client has the right to determine which lawyer or mediator they would prefer for legal assistance.
For some cases that go through the ADR division, it is more likely that the case could come to a closure in a day, but this is also dependent of both the parties involved. Should the parties agree after legal guidance, an agreement would be drafted to close the case after mediation.
For litigation, it is not likely because, the nature of the court system is structured in a manner that goes through several legal procedures.
The vision of legal aid is tied to providing Justice to the poor and vulnerable in society. So once you fall within the commission’ s target group you are eligible to receive legal assistance.
NO. Not all cases need legal representation. The commission can assist you with all court documents, drafting, petitions etc. without necessarily having a lawyer to represent you in court. Also, once your legal documents are endorsed with the Commission’s stamp, Legal Aid automatically becomes your legal representative even without the presence of a lawyer.
You would not be made to pay for legal services should you be eligible for the services of Legal Aid after a means test.
NO. it isn’t right! Once you qualify for legal aid no officer should demand anything from a client and this is against our code of ethics.
There is no specific duration for the conclusion of any case. Besides, the court system is different for most cases.
YES. The Commission handles all legal matters.
YES. Currently, Legal Aid is operative in all the traditional ten (10) regions in Ghana. However, the Commission is yet to upgrade and create the other 6 regions so our services can be accessible in all regions across the country.
NO. Not all cases demand litigation. A means test would be conducted to determine the appropriate division to handle your case. The Alternative Dispute Resolution and Citizenship Advisory Divisions do not require litigation. However, with the Public Defender’s Division litigation is more likely to be handled.
They have to resort to the services of a private lawyer, counselor or solicitor.
NO. The services of Legal Aid all people including foreigners who qualify for the services of legal aid.