In its report at the Budget Hearings 2019, the Legal Aid Board stated that a total of 49,602 benefitted from legal aid services provided by the Board in the first half of the year.
This, it stated, brought a total of 264,078 beneficiaries of the scheme since its inception in May, 2015 to the second quarter of 2019.
106,655 people benefitted from the scheme in 2018.
This is up 23,602 on 2017 when 83,053 people benefitted from the scheme.
Also the Board represented all the 416 accused persons in the Special Criminal Call over Sessions of the High Court in Port Loko, Moyamba and Sefadu in June, 2019.
A total of 159 accused persons, 15 of whom were charged with capital offences were brought before the court in Port Loko.
Also 155 accused persons, 10 of whom were charged with capital offences appeared before the court in Moyamba and 102 appeared before the court in Sefadu.
The Board has developed a national ‘Legal Aid Assistance Framework for Children in Contact with the Law.’
The framework provides a coherent and inclusive guidelines and procedures to be followed by legal aid providers for children to ensure proper access to justice for all children who come in contact with the law. The framework was funded by UNICEF.
The Board provides legal support to Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Board provides legal representation to all cases taken to the Industrial Court by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
It also provides legal advice and assistance to matters referred to it by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Sierra Leone Police (SLP), Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) and the Sierra Leone Labour Congress.
Sierra Leone passed the legal Aid Act in May, 2012, thus establishing the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board (LAB).