News
Legal Aid Commission to appoint lawyers for those who can’t afford in Supreme Court
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Legal Aid Commission (LAC) has taken steps to appoint lawyers to represent parties that have been unable to secure lawyers in criminal appeals filed before the Supreme Court.
Up until now, court appointed lawyers were only assigned to cases before the High Court and Court of Appeal. As such, steps are now being taken to draw up a proper mechanism whereby lawyers are appointed to criminal appeals being heard in the Supreme Court, and to pay them a fee for their services.
The decision was taken after an accused who had been found guilty of murder had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, but informed the court when his case was taken up that he had no legal representation.
When the case was taken up before a bench headed by Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, the accused-appellant had informed the court that he had no means of securing legal representation. Justice Kodagoda had then asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dileepa Peiris, who is representing the Attorney General in the case, to inquire as to what could be done about the matter. ASG Peiris had then informed of the issue in writing to Justice Ministry Secretary Ayesha Jinasena. Ms. Jinasena had thereafter reached out to LAC Chairman Vivekanandan Puvidaran, who agreed to assign legal representation to the accused-appellant.
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