Legal Aid Act, 2012

The Legal Aid Act, 2012 of Sierra Leone, aims to establish a comprehensive legal aid system to ensure that indigent persons have access to justice in both criminal and civil matters. The Act creates an independent Legal Aid Board responsible for administering, coordinating and monitoring legal aid services throughout the country. It seeks to provide accessible, affordable and sustainable legal assistance and legal representation to persons who cannot afford legal services, while also accrediting legal aid providers, including lawyers, paralegals, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations and university law clinics. The Act further establishes the procedures and institutional framework for granting legal aid, determining eligibility based on indigence, issuing legal aid certificates, providing emergency legal representation, and handling appeals against decisions of the Legal Aid Board. It also strengthens the quality and accountability of legal aid services through accreditation, monitoring, reporting and confidentiality requirements, while promoting nationwide access to legal information and assistance, including through paralegals stationed at chiefdom level and cooperation with civil society and other justice-sector actors.