Legal Aid
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Legal Aid was
established by Legal Act of 1978. It is mandated to provide legal
representation to indigent Basotho. Currently, Legal Aid has a total of 17
Lawyers and the office is presently only based in Maseru. To attend cases in
all districts, the department’s Lawyers travel to districts on scheduled dates
to represent their clients in the districts courts.
Through provision of
legal representation to indigent Basotho, the ministry will attain equitable,
access and efficient administration of justice as prerequisite for human rights
protection, sustainable social and economic development. The current legal frameworks
should be reviewed to strengthen the legal aid and decentralise the legal aid
to the indigent Basotho. The ministry will also review and improve ancient laws
that protects the rights of vulnerable groups such as children and women. These
include succession and administration of estates laws.