PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said wants the Legal Affairs Division and the Legal Aid Department to set out new policies on providing civil and criminal legal aid to the public to ensure efficient use of resources.
The minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said she would propose to the cabinet for a national conference to be held this year so that directions could be outlined.
"This is so that the government's expenses on providing civil and criminal legal aid will be worth it and there are no wastages.
"We need to make changes to the policies for the element of civil and criminal legal aid. So far, criminal legal aid is handled by the National Legal Aid Foundation.
"The foundation handles 48 per cent of remand cases. Sothe Legal Affairs Division wants to conduct a study with the Bar Council on the aspects of criminal legal aid, when the case goes to trial, charge, sentencing or remand," she said at the division's monthly assembly today.
She added that RM80 million have been channelled to the National Legal Aid Foundation since its inception over a decade ago.
Azalina said in several countries, most legal aid focused on criminal cases, while non-governmental organisations would handle civil matters.
"So, the question is whether the Legal Aid Department wants to focus on criminal cases or be a public defender's office or divide tasks between the government and the Bar Council in this aspect."
Azalina added that she did not want the department to be bogged down by divorce cases in syariah courts and instead encouraged mediation and efforts to achieve out-of-court settlements.
"It is best for divorce cases to avoid the court. We want couples to unite, not split."