Labour MP José Herrera has called for a radical review of legal aid, saying that Maltese law disqualifies anyone who possesses property that exceeds the value of €6,976 and whose yearly income is not more than the national minimum wage.
“When one considers the huge increases in court tariffs which were enacted in recent years, and how expensive the judicial process has become, it is clear that legal aid must be awarded to a wider segment of people,” Herrera said.
“There are many people who want to fight for their rights in court but cannot do this because of economic reasons. This system of legal aid is limiting the right to access to the courts to a wider group of people.”
Herrera also said that legal aid was not working as expected in the criminal field of the law. He said that the system provides a list of lawyers chosen by the Justice Ministry, which he claimed was not ideal since it does not provide a defendant with a lawyer of their choice and who they can trust.
Herrera said the honoraria paid to the legal aid lawyers available on the government’s list was too small at €1,000 a year. “In no way does it reflect the effort and responsibility of the role. This can only transpire into a lack of enthusiasm in their work.”
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