Decision No. 734/TTg On the establishment of legal aid organizations for the poor and policy beneficiaries

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the establishment of an organization to provide free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to Decree No. 38/CP dated October 11, 1993 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Justice;

To provide free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries;

At the proposal of the Minister of Justice and the Heads of the Civil Service Committee of the Government.

DECISION:

Article 1. Establish the Legal Aid Agency under the Ministry of Justice to assist the Minister of Justice in managing state affairs related to providing free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries.

The Legal Aid Agency has legal personality, its own seal, operational funds provided by the state budget, and a bank account at the State Treasury, with headquarters in Hanoi.

Article 2. The Legal Aid Agency shall have the following main tasks and powers:

1. Drafting and participating in drafting legal documents on providing free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries for submission to the Government or issuance by the Ministry within its authority, and organizing the implementation of such legal documents.

2. Submitting to the Ministry for issuance or issuing within the agency's authority regulations on specialized technical and professional matters concerning the provision of free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries, and guiding and supervising the implementation of these regulations.

3. Providing free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries when necessary.

4. Implementing international cooperation in legal aid and managing the legal aid fund according to the division of labor assigned by the Ministry of Justice.

5. Organizing training and capacity building in specialized and professional matters and skills in legal aid for legal aid officers and volunteers.

6. Participating in the dissemination and education of laws for the poor and policy beneficiaries.

7. Managing personnel, finance, and facilities of the Agency in accordance with state regulations.

Article 3. The Minister of Justice shall specify the tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Legal Aid Agency and appoint its leadership staff.

Article 4. In provinces and centrally-administered cities, organizations providing free legal aid to the poor and policy beneficiaries under the Department of Justice shall be established.

Organizations providing legal aid under the Department of Justice are public service organizations, with operational funds provided by the state budget.
Following the guidance of the Ministry of Justice, the Chairman of the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city shall decide on the establishment of the Legal Aid Organization under the Department of Justice. The appointment of personnel for the Legal Aid Organization under the Department of Justice shall be decided by the Chairman of the People's Committee of the province or centrally-administered city.

Article 5. The Legal Aid Agency and the Legal Aid Organization under the Department of Justice may employ volunteers.

Article 6. The Minister of Justice shall coordinate with the Civil Service Committee of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and other relevant agencies to provide detailed guidance on the implementation of this Decision.

Article 7. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days after its date of issuance.

Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies equivalent to ministries, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.