Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Uncooperative lawyers humbug legal aid programme – report

- Non-nationals outnumber locals in receiving legal aid assistance
Uncooperative lawyers are being reported as one of the major challenges that affect the functioning of the Social Development Department’s Legal Aid programme. Image:VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Uncooperative lawyers are being reported as one of the major challenges that affect the functioning of the Social Development Department’s Legal Aid programme.

The Social Development Department's Annual Report of 2011, which was laid in the House of Assembly on December 17, 2012 by Minister for Health and Social Development Ronnie W. Skelton, stated that some law firms, despite having committed to the involvement in the scheme, refuse to accept matters assigned to them by the Registrar in the manner authorised by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

There was no mention in the report of which lawyers or law firms refused assigned cases for legal aid assistance or whether these refusals were accompanied by any form of justification.

The Department’s report stated that there were forty-five applications for Legal Aid Services for the year under review; this signified a minimal increase of two persons from the previous year. Thirty-seven of the applications came from males while a mere eight were from females.

Additionally, of the 30 approved cases for legal aid in 2011, a total of twenty-one were for non-nationals with the remaining nine being Virgin Islanders.

The report further noted that the clerk continues to experience constant challenges with receiving fees from the assigned firms in a suitable manner as is required for processing of payments.

The Department’s 2011 Annual Report also noted that the fee structure outlined under the MOU is often manipulated by assigned firms and as a result, the submitted cost is often outside the parameters of what is allowable.

8 Responses to “Uncooperative lawyers humbug legal aid programme – report ”

  • mAN uP (22/12/2012, 15:18) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    the leagl field ain't for everyone.....Merry Christmas!
  • BVI lawyer (22/12/2012, 15:20) Like (1) Dislike (7) Reply
    The legal aid system has a number of issues, but one of the reasons law firms are reluctant to take assigned legal aid work is that it often takes over a year to get paid for legal aid work. Add that to the extremely low fixed rates, and it is not surprising that many firms prefer not to do it.
    • ---------------- (23/12/2012, 04:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Which government agency is going to meet 21st century DEVELOPED WORLD STANDARDS?
    • yea right (23/12/2012, 09:18) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      "often talkes over a year to get paid"/ that is a lie.
  • USA student (22/12/2012, 15:23) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Shame...
  • water boy (23/12/2012, 03:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Blah, blah, blah, whatever...but the people are not getting much support from the legal program
  • ReX FeRal (24/12/2012, 11:15) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    BVI Lawyer-- we all live in this society. we all need to protect it by any means necessary. too many times we put a $$ behind every darn thing we are involved with. I guess people will start charging $$ to volunteer for the redcross.


Create a comment


Submit comment

Create a comment

Submit comment
Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.