Our Roles

We play an important role to ensure that poor people have access to justice and legal remedies as provided for under section 41 of the Constitution. The Legal Aid Bureau provides legal aid services to persons of insufficient means to hire private lawyers. Priority for legal aid is given to vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the elderly and the sick. Legal aid is mainly in four areas namely legal aid criminal matters, legal aid in civil matters, legal advice and assistance and public legal education

Legal Aid in Civil Cases

Legal aid in civil cases is granted to all deserving persons involved in civil proceedings either as a litigant or interested party. Civil matters include affiliation and maintenance proceedings, matrimonial cases, adoption of children, land disputes, personal injury claims, contract disputes, deceased estates and labour matters

Legal Aid in Criminal Cases

Legal aid in criminal cases is provided to persons who are charged with or under investigation for various criminal offences such as murder, rape, theft and any other offences under the law. The services include legal advice, bail applications and representation on court.

Legal Advice and Assistance

We provide general legal advice and assistance in all legal matters. This may include advice on how the law applies in particular circumstances, legal assistance in preventing and settling disputes and advice in court

Public Legal Education

We provide public legal education to members of the general public on various legal issues and legal procedures. Particular focus is also placed on educating the public on the existence and functions of the Legal Aid Bureau