Punjab Legal Aid Agency draft rules 2021 finalised

LAHORE: The Punjab Prosecution Department has prepared Punjab Legal Aid Agency draft rules for providing free service of defence lawyers to non-affording accused of criminal and family matter cases.

The Punjab finance department has permitted appointment of a grade 20 director general and 33 other officers and officials to the Punjab Legal Aid Agency. These officers include one director (grade-19), two deputy directors (grade-18), and four assistant directors (grade-17).

According to the draft of Punjab Legal Aid Agency Rules 2021, a copy of which is available with the reporter, the free legal aid would be available to such persons whose family head’s income would be less than Rs25,000 per month, and the family would not have moveable and unmoveable properties worth of more than Rs300,000, except for a housing unit. The draft said all those persons would also be eligible who are receiving Zakat or any other financial help meant for the poor families.

Under the Punjab Legal Aid Agency Rules 2021, the hardened criminals, those facing cases under Chapter 22 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, and those who have already hired a lawyer would not be eligible to benefit from the facility.

According to the draft rules, in family matter cases, the lawyer would be paid a total of Rs10,000, for bail please in magisterial court, Rs5,000, in trial cases, Rs10,000, in district and sessions courts, Rs15,000, in anti-terrorism court cases Rs15,000 and in high court and the Supreme Court cases, the lawyers would be paid Rs20,000 and Rs25,000 respectively.