Bill ratified, state will fund legal aid: Legislation agency

The House of Representatives on Tuesday ratified a bill on legal aid which stipulates, among other things, that funding for legal aid will come out of the state budget.

“Funding for legal aid needed and used for the implementation of legal aid as mandated by the law will be charged to the state budget,” House Legislation Agency deputy chief Sunardi Ayub said Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Apart from the state budget, legal aid funds can also derive from grants, donations and other sources with unbinding legal funding.

However, only legal aid foundations that have passed a verification and accreditation process at the Law and Human Rights Ministry are entitled to state funds.

The state funding was given to strengthen legal aid foundations in providing legal assistance to underprivileged citizens.