Strategic plan for Legal Aid launched in Accra
A FORMER Director of Legal Aid, Mr Felix Kodzo Korley, has charged the government to invest its resources into the Legal Aid Scheme to make for the efficient delivery of legal aid.
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According to him, the needs of the Legal Aid Scheme have been neglected for too long and said, “an angry lawyer is a dangerous lawyer.”
He added that the scheme was made up of dedicated public lawyers who ensured justice was given equally to the poor in need of cost-effective justice.
Receiving an award in recognition of his dedication and for being the first director of the scheme at the launch of a five-year strategic plan for the Legal Aid Scheme in Accra, Mr Korley said legal aid lawyer, whose needs were neglected would use their talents and ambitions to satisfy themselves rather than ensuring justice for the poor.
“Just as some government institutions are being resourced to perform efficiently, Legal Aid should also be resourced to perform well,” he said.
Mr Korley pointed out that if the Legal Aid Scheme was not resourced adequately, it would not be able to defend persons who sought its services.
He added that though the delivery of legal aid was a constitutional requirement, the scheme was not being recognised by the government.
Strategic plan
The five-year strategic plan for the Legal Aid Scheme had been launched to support the delivery of legal aid throughout the country.
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The scheme serves as a public defender for the poor to ensure equal access to justice for all.
The plan is, therefore, to improve the scheme’s capability to effectively defend the rights of the poor through the provision of timely high quality aid.
It is also to give the public a better understanding of legal issues and increase their confidence in the services provided under the scheme.
The Director of Legal Aid Ghana, Mr Yahaya Al-Hassan Seini, in his welcome address said, for the scheme to commit to the implementation of the strategic plan, there was the need for a guide on the services of the scheme and also a legal aid fund.
On behalf of the scheme, he thanked its partners, the UNDP and UNICEF, for their immense support for the scheme.