Cost of litigation should be more affordable for the poor
To ensure that even the poorest in Philippine society could have equal access to the law, an official of a non-government legal organization recommended provisions which would lower the costs of litigation in the country.
During a forum on "Increasing Justice to the Poor", Carlos Medina, executive director of the Ateneo Human Right Center, suggested the creation of adequate support mechanism to help pauper litigants and guarantee system or legal insurance for the poor where they may access financial assistance while their cases are pending in court.
Medina made this suggestion after observing that there are no support mechanisms for poor individuals involved in pending civil and criminal cases.
Lack of such support often resulted in the slowdown or abandonment cases involving poor or marginalized individuals.
He also recommended that law firms, practitioners and legal students be made to render free legal aid and conduct free legal education for poor living in remote barangays and communities to level up the playing field.
To attract topnotch legal talents from assisting the marginalized sectors, Medina recommended that the government create or provide some form of incentives to them.
The SC earlier announced the possibility of ordering lawyers to do more pro-bono work in order to provide the poor more access to the law.
Lawyers who will do pro-bono work will be granted tax credits in return for services rendered.
He also suggested the creation of "lawyer to the barrio program" which provide free legal aid to residents needing it. (PNA)