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President calls on lawyers to provide justice for the poor
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on Indonesian lawyers to provide adequate legal assistance for the poor who, he acknowledges, to have limited access to justice
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P
resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on Indonesian lawyers to provide adequate legal assistance for the poor who, he acknowledges, to have limited access to justice.
Yudhoyono made the remark as he opened a national working meeting on legal aid held by the Law and Human Rights Ministry at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday.
'Hopefully this national working meeting will establish policy and strategic measures to provide legal assistance to Indonesian people especially the poor,' Yudhoyono said as quoted by Kontan.co.id.
He acknowledged that justice in the country was sometimes enjoyed by particular groups of people only, not the poor who had little understanding of legal matters.
The President also reminded the lawyers about Article 28 of the Constitution, which stipulates that, 'Every person shall have the right to recognition, guarantees, protection and certainty before a just court, and of equal treatment before the law', as a mandate to provide justice for all.
The government has decided on Law No. 16/2011 on the provision of legal aid as the legal basis for the country to guarantee justice for all, especially for the poor.
To implement the law, the government has issued Regulation No. 42/2013 on procedures for the provision of legal assistance and legal aid fund distribution. (hrl)
