NCJ Number
72478
Editor(s)
F H Zemans
Date Published
1979
Length
370 pages
Annotation
This book brings together various national perspectives on the provision of legal aid in capitalist, socialist, developing, and other societies, including Scandanavia, Europe, Africa, North America, and Japan.
Abstract
Discussion of legal aid in Africa south of the Sahara touches on the difficulties in disseminating information, in providing services to widely spread communities, and in combining traditional with contemporary means of administering justice. Territorial barriers are also highlighted as problematic in Australia, together with the limited range of available services. The Austrian combination of a legal aid system and legal advice services is presented as a fully acceptable and consumer-oriented guarantee of public access to the courts. The Canadian experience is described with examples drawn from Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The development of legal aid as a legal right in France is traced. A discussion of the major barriers to judicial access in the Federal Republic of Germany identifies them as language, lack of information, and costs. Defects, criticisms, projected improvements, and advantages of Great Britain's legal aid system are also addressed. Italy's lack of a true legal aid system are also addressed. Italy's lack of a true legal assistance program for the poor is debated, and the Japanese and Korean Legal Aid Associations are complimented for their contribution to legal aid services. Moreover, Mexico's minimal attempts at facilitating access to justice for the underprivileged are criticized. Legal aid systems in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway are also examined. An overview of statutory provisions for legal aid in the socialist countries of Eastern Europe is provided, and South Africa legal aid processes are summarized. The success of legal aid in Spain is documented, with special attention to labor union legal aid. Finally, the parallel growth of traditional and socially activist legal rights access in the U.S. is followed and an international picture drawn of the highly diverse nature of legal aid among nations. For related documents, see NCJ # 72479-95.