Warming Up To Free Legal Aid

Source : TODAY, Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Popularity of pro bono services growing among non-profit organisations

THERE weren’t exactly snaking queues when this legal aid scheme was officially launched last year. In fact, there were more law firms offering aid under Project Law Help, than non-profit organisations seeking advice.

While the tables have not exactly turned, it seems that more non-profit organisations, charities and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) are now seeking pro bono, or free, non-litigation advice.

Lawyer Sean La’Brooy, who chairs the Law Society’s Project Law Help committee, told TODAY that there are “about eight to nine VWOs” waiting to join the scheme.

Piloted in September 2004, Project Law Help was aimed at providing free non-litigation commercial advice to non-profit organisations that could not otherwise afford it. Successful applicants are then matched with law firms.

For example, All Saints Home— one of the 13 VWOs on board the scheme — gets legal advice in settling terms and conditions for its residents and also in contractual arrangements with its suppliers.

All Saints Home’s client and community relations manager Surin Lee told TODAY the free counsel is “very good. VWOs can’t really afford if, every time we have a question, we need to seek legal advice”.

The advice provided to VWOs includes the legal constraints on fund raising activities, review of legal documents and copyright issues. Also raised last year, Mr La’Brooy noted, were issues such as corporate governance — following various scandals in the charity sector — and social workers’ legal duties.

There are now 16 law firms involved with Project Law Help, double the number when the project was piloted in 2004.

Mr La’Brooy, a lawyer with Wong Partnership, expects more non-profit organisations to come on board. Project Law Help was expanded earlier this year to include social enterprises.

Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee yesterday opened the Law Society’s pro bono office to make legal aid available to people who cannot afford to pay for it.

Associate Professor Ho said: “No one in Singapore should be bereft of someone to turn to if they should need legal advice or help, including those who cannot afford to pay for it.”

The new pro bono office at the Subordinate Courts will administer the society’s pro bono programmes — Project Law Help and the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme —and will also work with the Legal Aid Bureau to develop new schemes.

Two pilot community legal clinics have also been launched, as part of a new pro bono initiative by the Ministry of Law and the Law Society, with the support of the Singapore Academy of Law and the North-West and South-East Community Development Councils.

To date, 70 people have signed up for basic legal advice and information, said pro bono services office director Lim Tanguy. All slots for this week’s four clinics have been filled and his office is beginning to take appointments for next week.

Mr Lim said his office would monitor the response before deciding to expand the community legal clinics.