Elderly people eligible for legal aid

Legal aid for people of Truong Phu hamlet, Truong Long commune.

According to Decree No. 144/2017/ND-CP dated December 15, 2017 detailing a number of articles of the Law on Legal Aid, the financial difficulties of the person receiving legal aid are those who belong to near-poor households or are receiving monthly social allowances as prescribed by law. The elderly who are the person receiving legal aid have the right to receive legal aid without having to pay money, material benefits or other benefits; requesting legal aid themselves or through relatives, agencies, competent persons conducting proceedings or other agencies, organizations and individuals. To be informed about the right to receive legal aid, the order and procedures for legal aid when coming to the organization implementing legal aid and relevant state agencies; to request confidentiality of the content of the legal aid case.

In addition, the elderly who are eligible for social assistance are also entitled to choose a social assistance organization and a local social assistance implementer from the published list; request a change of the social assistance implementer according to regulations; change or withdraw the social assistance request; receive compensation for damages; and make complaints and denunciations about social assistance according to regulations and other relevant legal provisions.

Ms. Hong Thanh in Phuoc Thoi ward said: “I am nearly 70 years old, I cannot travel far, there are issues I want to contact for legal advice. I hope that the sectors and localities will have many mobile legal propaganda and legal aid sessions for the people so that we can grasp the law and conveniently ask specific legal questions.”

In addition to the prescribed rights, the elderly receiving legal aid have the following obligations: to provide documents proving that they are beneficiaries of legal aid; to cooperate, promptly and fully provide information, documents and evidence related to the legal aid case and be responsible for the accuracy of such information, documents and evidence; to respect the legal aid implementing organization, the legal aid implementer and other agencies, organizations and individuals related to the legal aid case; not to request another legal aid implementing organization to provide legal aid for them regarding the same case that is being handled and resolved by a legal aid implementing organization; to comply with the law on legal aid and the internal regulations of the place where legal aid is implemented...

The elderly must complete the application for legal assistance as follows: in case of direct submission at the headquarters of the organization implementing legal assistance: application for legal assistance; papers and documents related to the legal assistance case; present the original or submit a certified copy of the documents proving that they are the person receiving legal assistance. In case the person requesting legal assistance cannot write the application themselves, the person receiving the request is responsible for writing the contents on the application form for them to read or read back to them and ask them to sign or fingerprint the application. In case of sending the application via postal service: application for legal assistance; papers and documents related to the legal assistance case; certified copies of documents proving that they are the person receiving legal assistance. In case of sending the application via fax or electronic form: when meeting the person implementing legal assistance, the person requesting legal assistance must present the original or submit a certified copy of the documents proving that they are the person receiving legal assistance.

According to the Can Tho City State Legal Aid Center, in the first 9 months of the year, the Center coordinated with the People's Committees of communes, wards, towns, local departments, branches and organizations to organize 10 legal communication sessions on legal aid, with 521 participants, including many elderly people; distributed more than 1,900 free legal brochures to attendees. The content focused on regulations on the Law on Legal Aid; Law on Children; Law on Cyber Security; Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking...

According to Mr. Le Van Han, Director of the State Legal Aid Center of Can Tho City, the Center will continue to strengthen communication work on the right to legal aid and legal aid activities to raise awareness of the people and sectors at all levels about the role of legal aid work. In addition, the Center organizes training to improve legal aid skills for legal aid practitioners; officers of prosecution agencies at all levels; focusing on legal aid skills for some specific subjects such as people with disabilities, the elderly, children... to meet the increasingly diverse legal aid needs of those receiving assistance.

Subjects eligible for free legal aid can go directly to the State Legal Aid Center of Can Tho City, address: No. 1A, Tran Khanh Du Street, Ninh Kieu Ward, Can Tho City; phone number: 0292.3825926 - 0292.3810328, for advice and support.

Article and photos: Hoang Yen

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nguoi-cao-tuoi-thuoc-dien-duoc-tro-giup-phap-ly-a193172.html