Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office Act 1984
TITLE 5 – PUBLIC OFFICES AND AGENCIES
CHAPTER 8 - LEGAL AID OFFICE
sRepublic of the Marshall Islands
Jepilpilin Ke Ejukaan
REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS LEGAL AID
OFFICE ACT 1984
Arrangement of Sections
Section Page
§801. Short title. .............................................................................................................................. 3
§802. Interpretation. ....................................................................................................................... 3
§803. Establishment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Legal Aid Office. .................... 3
§804. Personnel. .............................................................................................................................. 4
§805. Duties and responsibilities. ................................................................................................. 4
§806. Independence of the Legal Aid Office. .............................................................................. 4
TITLE 5 – PUBLIC OFFICES AND AGENCIES
CHAPTER 8 - LEGAL AID OFFICE
sRepublic of the Marshall Islands
Jepilpilin Ke Ejukaan
REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS LEGAL AID
OFFICE ACT 1984
AN ACT to provide for the establishment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Legal Aid Office.
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.]
