THE Government is reviewing the $15,000 annual income threshold used to determine eligibility for Legal Aid, amid rising living costs.
Acting Attorney-General and Justice Minister Siromi Turaga told Parliament this while responding to questions on the Legal Aid Commission’s means threshold. Currently, the $15,000 threshold is the maximum annual net disposable income generally used by Legal Aid to decide whether someone qualifies for legal assistance.
Mr Turaga said that threshold was used as part of the Commission’s eligibility means test and had been in place since the legal aid system commenced in 1998.
He said the $15,000 threshold had been in place for more than 25 years.
“During that period, Fiji has experienced significant changes in population, wages, household expenditure, and overall cost of living,” Mr Turaga said.
He said the economic circumstances faced by individuals and families today were different from those when the threshold was introduced.
Mr Turaga clarified that the assessment was based on net disposable income and not simply an applicant’s gross annual salary.
“The Director of Legal Aid has a discretion to consider providing assistance to an applicant whose disposable income exceeds $15,000, depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant.
“I support the review of the current means threshold.”
He said the objective of the review was to ensure the threshold remained appropriate in the current economic environment and that people who required legal assistance were not excluded because of outdated criteria.
