Contribute to justice to protect the vulnerable

Legal aid workers of the provincial State Legal Aid Center promote legal aid work and raise legal awareness for people in the mountainous areas of Phu Yen . Photo: NGOC QUYNH

But in the journey of justice, there have been humane trials and legal assistants who have silently accompanied, contributing to bringing the law closer to them - the disadvantaged.

Behind a verdict

At a recent first-instance trial of the People's Court of Dong Xuan district, two ethnic minority couples in Xuan Quang 1 commune (Dong Xuan district), K Pa Lai and La Mo Thi Phiem, were prosecuted for forest destruction under Clause 3, Article 243 of the Penal Code, with a penalty of 7-15 years in prison.

According to the indictment, in early July 2023, due to the need for land for production, K Pa Lai invited his wife to enter the protective forest area in plot 1, Sub-area 111 (managed by the People's Committee of Xuan Quang 1 Commune) to cut down trees to plant rice and acacia. This action damaged 27,400m² of forest, with an environmental and ecological loss of more than 163 million VND. Afterwards, the Dong Xuan District Forest Protection Department coordinated with the People's Committee of Xuan Quang 1 Commune to inspect, make a record and transfer the file to the investigation agency for handling. According to the authorities, the destroyed forest area belongs to the protective forest type, but is a poor forest.

According to the law, their actions constituted a crime. However, behind the indictment is a story of poverty, illiteracy, lack of education, lack of understanding of the law...

Assisting and defending the two defendants in that trial was Mr. Ngo Tan Hai, Legal Aid Officer, Deputy Head of the Professional Department of the Provincial State Legal Aid Center (TGPL) under the Department of Justice. Mr. Hai said: “When approaching the case, we realized that this was an illegal act but stemmed from extremely difficult circumstances, due to lack of land for production and limited legal awareness. They simply thought of cutting down the forest to have land for cultivation and improve their lives. They were illiterate and did not understand the legal regulations, we had to explain from the most basic things, how to make them understand the consequences of their actions and their rights to protection.”

In the coming time, the Legal Aid Center will promote legal communication at the grassroots level so that people can access information right from the community. At the same time, the center focuses on improving the capacity of the legal aid team, not only in terms of expertise but also communication and behavioral skills to connect more effectively with ethnic minorities.

Director of the Provincial State Legal Aid Center Nguyen Thi Khanh Duy

As a defense attorney, Mr. Hai cited many mitigating circumstances such as: first-time offender; honest confession, repentance; voluntary compensation for damages, and remedy of consequences. In addition, both defendants belong to a vulnerable group that is prioritized by the law for protection, so the panel of judges took them into consideration when sentencing them.

At the end of the trial, K Pa Lai was sentenced to 3 years in prison, suspended, La Mo Thi Phiem to 2 years and 6 months in prison, suspended, with a probationary period of 5 years; both were forced to pay compensation of more than 163 million VND. The sentence was assessed as strict but humane, enough to deter but also open up opportunities for them to correct their mistakes and rebuild their lives. K Pa Lai choked up after the trial: “Deforestation is wrong. After this sentence, I dare not repeat the offense. We thank the legal aid officer for speaking up for us, showing my husband and I what is right and what is wrong.”

The success of this case not only demonstrates the effectiveness of legal aid activities in protecting the rights and legitimate interests of the disadvantaged, but also truly reflects the conditions, difficulties and characteristics of this work in the mountainous region of Phu Yen.

Bringing the law closer to the people

The case of the K Pa Lai couple is not an isolated case in the mountainous districts of Phu Yen. The lives of ethnic minority people are still facing many difficulties: limited education, lack of land for production, backward farming, and little knowledge of the law. In this context, legal aid workers play the role of a bridge between the law and the people. They not only propagate and raise legal awareness but also provide free support, helping people understand and protect their legitimate rights.

According to the Provincial State Legal Aid Center, in the first quarter of 2025, the unit participated in 77 criminal cases, of which 55 cases were directly handled by legal aid officers and 22 cases were handled by contract lawyers.

However, in reality, this work still faces many challenges such as: people, especially those in remote areas, are not fully aware of their right to free legal aid, and are still hesitant to access legal services. Language barriers and the difference in educational level between people and legal officials make the process of explaining and guiding the law require a lot of time and effort. In addition, some mountainous areas still do not have branches or permanent legal advice points, making it difficult to provide timely support...

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/phap-luat/202505/gop-tieng-noi-cong-ly-bao-ve-nguoi-yeu-the-9c4192e/