CHAPTER 8.

LEGAL AID OFFICE

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section 
§801. Short title. 
§802. Interpretation. . 
§803. Establishment of the Republic of the RMI Legal Aid Office.
§804. Personnel.
§805. Duties and Responsibilities.
§806. Independence of the Legal Aid. 

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An Act to provide for the establishment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office. [This Chapter was formerly codified as Title 37 Ch.1.][Section numbering style modified to conform to format of the Code (Rev.2003)]

Commencement: March 15, 1984 
Source: P.L. 1984‑7

§801. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the "Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office Act
1984". [P.L. 1984‑7, §1.]

§802. Interpretation.

The term "lawyer" as used herein means a person who is a graduate of a law school recognized by the bar association of any country and who is admitted to the practice of law as an attorney in the Republic. The term "Trial Assistant" means a Trial Assistant admitted to the practice of law as such in the Republic. [P.L. 1984‑7, §2.]

§803. Establishment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office.

There is hereby established the Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office, which shall be placed for administrative purposes under such Department or agency as the Cabinet may designate. [P.L. 1984‑7, §3.]

§804. Personnel.

Such Office shall consist of one or more lawyers and a secretary together with such number of Trial Assistants as may be selected, and which the money available for these purposes will support. The first lawyer appointed to this Office shall be the Chief Legal Aid Officer unless and until the Cabinet directs otherwise. [P.L. 1984‑7, §4.] 

§805. Duties and responsibilities.

The duties of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office shall be as follows:

(a) to furnish, to the extent of its ability, legal services to any Marshallese citizen who it finds unable to afford legal services, or unable to find a lawyer or other qualified counsel to represent him or her. Such legal services shall include legal advice and counseling, drafting of documents and civil court actions or defense thereof, and other acts normally performed by legal aid offices.

(b) to represent persons accused of crime before the courts if so ordered by the court;

(c) to give special emphasis in aiding persons under the age of eighteen (18) in civil and criminal cases and to their parents in legal matters that substantially affect persons under eighteen (18) years of age; and

(d) to perform such other legal duties as may be directed by the courts. [P.L. 1984‑7, §5.]

§806. Independence of the Legal Aid Office.

In the execution of its legal duties and responsibilities set out in Section 805 of this Act, neither the Chief Legal Aid Officer nor his staff shall receive any direction from the Cabinet, the Chief Secretary or any other authority or person. The Legal Aid Office shall be independent. [P.L. 1984‑7, §6.]