OPPOSITION MP Faiyaz Koya has urged the Ministry of Finance to ensure legal aid lawyers salaries are comparable with the private sector.
While contributing to the debate in Parliament on the “Consolidated Review Report of the Legal Aid Commission 2018 to 2023 Annual Reports” which was tabled on December 3, 2024, Mr Koya also urged the Ministry of Finance to increase the finding for Legal Aid Commission in the 2025-2026 Budget.
“It’s very, very important to remember that the continuous funding of Legal Aid and the increase of Legal aid is actually important,” Mr Koya said.
“It is the largest law firm in the country. It employs about 100 lawyers.
“It’s very important, and we must ensure that we pay them well, we pay them comparable to the private sector.
“We must ensure that we attract the best out of universities, because cutting your teeth at Legal Aid is actually quite an important step towards being a better lawyer that may wonder one day to decide to open up his or her own practice or be plucked up by the Attorney General’s office or even international institutions.
“Initially, as mentioned by the Minister for Lands, they were stuck too and just doing criminal work, but their work has now been extended into family matters and accession matters, etcetera.
“I know there are quite a few lawyers that jumped up and down in the initial stages about Legal Aid being too accessible and taking up so much of their work, but it’s all about the accessibility of the service that lawyers provide.
“I think it’s important that we remember that.
“I think anybody who’s been a judge or a magistrate worth his salt will it always ensure that a person is represented at the institution stands by ready to provide those services.
“So, the recommendations that have been provided are very important for everyone to remember.
“I urge the Minister for Finance in this year’s budget, please seriously look at increasing their budget again and making sure that they are also paid and aligned to Attorney-General’s chambers.
“We hope that the Attorney-General will have a discussion with the board to say, look, you must pay them really well so that we are attracting the practitioners best for Legal Aid.”
