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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Soon lawyers will be required to render more hours of free legal aid to marginalized, underprivileged sectors

Soon lawyers will be required to render more hours of free legal aid to marginalized, underprivileged sectors

Published May 23, 2024 03:50 am

The Supreme Court (SC) stepped up its drive to institutionalize a nationwide legal aid program that would enhance access to the country’s justice system by the marginalized and the underprivileged.

Article III, Section 11 of the Constitution provides: "Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty. All Filipinos, regardless of economic standing, are entitled to recourse through the justice system.”

Under the proposed ULAS, covered lawyers will be required to render at least 60 hours of pro bono (free of charge) legal aid services every compliance period of three years in favor of indigent Filipinos and those belonging to the marginalized sectors.

Proposed beneficiaries under ULAS are indigents, members of the marginalized sectors with respect to their public interest cases, and non-governmental and non-profit organizations with respect to cases or matters that are beneficial to indigents and marginalized sector.

Pro bono legal aid services include representation in courts and quasi-judicial bodies, legal counselling, assistance in contract negotiations, developmental legal assistance, participation in accredited legal outreach programs, and other legal services as defined by the SC.

Covered under ULAS are members of the Philippine Bar who are not retired or excluded under the rules.  These lawyers would be mandated to render pro bono legal aid services to qualified beneficiaries.

The SC’s third leg of the information drive on ULAS was held at the Ateneo Law School in Makati City last May 17. The information drive started last April 12 at the Saint Louis University in Baguio City.

The second leg was held last April 18 at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro City.  The final leg is slated on May 31 at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo was with Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Rodil V. Zalameda, Japar B. Dimaampao, and Jose Midas P. Marquez during the Makati City consultation on ULAS.

The input and suggestions gathered during the ULAS regional consultations will be compiled and submitted to the ULAS technical working group (TWG) for consolidation and drafting of the final rules, which, in turn, will be submitted to the SC as a full court for consideration.

The SC had said its ULAS regional consultations “serve as an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the proposed Rules, deliberate on its salient provisions, and provide feedback and insights that will be taken into consideration in drafting the final Rules.”

The TWG mandated to draft the ULAS rules is headed by Associate Justice Caguioa.

Since the information drive is consultative in nature, the highlight of each leg of the ULAS regional consultation “is the breakout session where participants are given the opportunity to discuss the proposed Rules, review its provisions, and voice out their suggestions.”

“Each breakout session is one hour and forty-five minutes long, with the participants divided into breakout rooms with corresponding facilitators,” it said.

The participants in the consultations are lawyers from small-sized firms, lawyers from medium/large-sized firms, solo practitioners, in-house counsels, lawyers employed by NGOs/NPOs (non-government organizations/non-profit organizations), and members of the academe, it also said.

 

 

 

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