AusAID Facilitates Workshop on Legal Aid Post

Bandung | badilag.net/english - Following up the issuance of Supreme Court’s Cicular Letter (SEMA) No. 10/2010 on the Guidelines of legal Aid Provisions, Indonesian Supreme Court, facilitated by IAJPT (Indonesia Australia Justice Partnership - Transition), held a workshop on operational development and cooperation patterns of Posbakum (Legal Aid Post at Court), in Bandung from 1 – 3 October 2010.

Deputy Chief Justice for General Civil Cases, Atja Sondjaja, officially opened the workshop which was attended by around 40 participants from Supreme Court and its lower courts, Bappenas (National Development Planning agency), Ministry of Finance, Advocate Organization, NGO, and Civil Society Organizations.

Two main speakers from Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) Australia, Vince Caltabiano and Laura Mc Donough, shared their extensive experience on providing duty lawyers at courts, in particular, and legal aids for those in need, in general. They were intentionally invited by AusAID to this workshop because VLA has a long experience in dealing with Posbakum. Other main speakers were Leisha Lister from the Family Court of Australia and Cate Sumner from IAJPT.

“This workshop is very useful to follow up the SEMA. I hope this workshop can also accommodate inputs from participants for a better management of Posbakum,” Deputy Chief Justice said in his speech.

Deputy Chief Justice also said thank you to IAJPT AusAID which had facilitated the workshop. Australia is the country that has more than 30 years experience in handling legal aids for people to access to courts. We should learn from Australia and mach with the real conditions of our legal systems, he said. (*Written by Achmad Cholil)