Legal Assistance Day

Legal assistance is an activity of providing free legal services, helping legal aid recipients protect their legitimate rights and interests, improve their understanding of the law, and their sense of respect and observance of the law, contribute to the dissemination and education of the law, the protection of justice, the assurance of social justice, the prevention and limitation of disputes and violations of the law. Everyone in the world deserves the right to legal aid. In a time when there were no lawyers and democratic government, it was very difficult for people to access the law and most people did not have a voice in it. Legal Assistance Day was born, held annually on March 14th every year, to increase people's understanding of what lawyers do for their community, besides, Legal Assistance Day It also gives people a unique opportunity to deal with and deal with their legal issues.

Legal Assistance Day History Day

Legal assistance is a type of social welfare activity that originated in England and has a history of more than 500 years. As early as the 15th century, English law stipulates: "It is necessary to give help to the poor so that they can enjoy the benefits that the law gives them. In 1495, King Henry VII in a deliberation provided a provision. To be more specific on this issue: "justice" should be shared with the poor and those who exercise their freedoms - there's no substitute.

However, before the 20th century, legal assistance was just born in other countries because at that time the capitalist state developed very strongly, social welfare was poor, legal assistance just stopped at the idea of ​​some progressive politicians but not organized. In some European countries following the case law system like in the UK, it comes from the requirement to have a lawyer to protect and the right to a fair trial, from the justice required to avoid unjust cases. The original attorneys with the obligation to ensure justice helped the parties on a voluntary basis.

In the US, right from the second half of the 19th century when the US states established Bar Associations and similar organizations, they also clearly defined the code of ethical behavior of lawyers, in this code of ethical behavior. There is a relatively regular content called "laws of legal aid behavior of lawyers". Not long after that, in order to highlight the content of legal aid, an American Bar Association shifted its focus to creating a new form to solve the problem of legal aid for the poor. This form is more organized and normative, considering it a vocation of a lawyer.

In the United States: March 18, 1963 marked one of the very important events in the legal history of the United States. That was the birth of the "Gideon ruling" - the principle that guarantees the right to a lawyer to protect the poor who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. The Supreme Court of the United States of America unanimously announced in Gideon v. Wainwright Amendments to the Sixth Amendment to the Principle to ensure that all criminal defendants and defendants who commit felonies have the right to a lawyer. Justice Hugo Black wrote: Reason and reflection make us realize that, in our adversary criminal justice system, any person who is brought to court, that person is too poor and cannot hire a lawyer, there will be no guarantee of a fair trial unless a lawyer is sent to assist him." The above principle comes from the case of Clarence Earl Gideon, a poor man was charged with petty theft in Florida. No attorney for Gideon was found guilty in any court. Gideon appealed to the Supreme Court, but the Warren Court judge found out why there was no defense attorney returned to Gideon and learned that Gideon could not afford to hire an attorney The judge ordered a lawyer to be appointed for Gideon and a retrial to ensure a fair trial As a result, at the retrial a lawyer seasoned veterans were sent to protect Gideon and he was acquitted common evidence for subsequent incidents. Upholding Gideon precedent, which helps prosecutors be more fair and honest in the performance of their duties; help judges be more careful in the pre-trial preparation stage. Unquestionably, a more correct outcome for the trial was led by the Gideon Principle. Legal assistance in the US has been strongly developed since the Gideon case.

Legal Assistance Day was conceived as a necessity, with the aim of helping people to solve their legal problems, besides, giving new law graduates the opportunity to access with problems in your community.

Observing Legal Assistance Day

On Legal Assistance Day, people in need of legal assistance can go to their local legal aid offices and express their problem for assistance. If you are a law student, a volunteer or someone who take care of law, you can participate in activities organized by legal aid offices to help the surrounding community. Besides, you can also use this day to express your gratitude to the lawyers who have helped you or your loved ones. Share your Legal Assistance Day on social media with the hashtag #LegalAssistanceDay and send a message to everyone that Legal Assistance Day is truly the day everyone deserves regardless of how much their income are.