the new eligibility criteria and procedures provided for under the Legal Aid and Legal Assistance Act 2025,…
(No. B/744) Dr. R. Saumtally (Third Member for Montagne Blanche & GRSE) asked the Attorney-General whether, in regard to the new eligibility criteria and procedures provided for under the Legal Aid and Legal Assistance Act 2025, he will state if consideration will be given for measures to be taken to facilitate access to legal aid and legal assistance to residents in rural areas, including in Constituency No. 10 such as Montagne Blanche and Grand River South East, through local information campaigns or designated officers in courts.
Madam Speaker, the new eligibility criteria for legal aid and legal assistance as provided for in the Act, passed by this House on 8 July, are in furtherance of this Government’s aim to facilitate access to justice in all districts of Mauritius including Rodrigues. They participate towards the fulfilment of the provisions to the secured protection of the law for all the rights enshrined in section 10 of our Constitution. The hon. Member is therefore right to highlight as others have done during the debates on this legislation, the need for a wide dissemination of the relevant information to members of the public. May I remind the hon. Member that the Act imposes an obligation on the Court to inform a person, in a language that he is conversant with, of the possibility to obtain legal aid and, at the station for a police officer who intends to record the statement of a person under warning, to
57 inform that person in case the person is not represented by a Counsel, that he may make an application for legal assistance, for legal advice and counselling during the recording of his statement. A resident of Constituency No. 10 will therefore benefit from this when appearing before the District Courts whether at Flacq or elsewhere or before the High Courts in Port Louis. The legal duty being that of the Court, it will be fulfilled by none other than the learned Magistrate presiding over the case or the Judge as the case may be. However, I do agree that local information campaigns could be useful to reach citizens even before they get inside a Court room or a police station. I will therefore liaise with the Chief Justice, the Master and Registrar and the Government Information Service to look into the possibility of launching a campaign which would include having clear and instructive posters put up in public places such as post offices, community centres, Court buildings as well as publications in the Press and on social media.
Thank you, Attorney General! Yes, next question, the hon. Second Member for Grand Baie and Poudre d'Or, Mr Beejan! LA CUVETTE PUBLIC BEACH – AMENITIES – REINSTATEMENT WORKS