The United Nation Development Program (UNDP) has allocated $300,000 to the Public Defender’s Office (PDO) to help establish judicial clinics in the Baucau and Covalima municipalities.
Public Defender General Sergio Hornai said the funding would be used to raise awareness in communities about the objectives of establishing the judicial clinics.
“We should introduce [the concept] to communities so that they are familiar with this program,” he said.
Some of the budget will also be used to pay an allowance to people who want to be involved in activities to raise awareness.
Hornai said the program was an initiative of the Justice Ministry under the previous government, but was only implemented this year, with the PDO entrusted to run the program.
One of the main objectives of establishing the judicial clinics is so that communities gain a better understanding of what laws are in force in the country.
“If they (communities) have any problems, [then] it is easy for them to go to the judicial institutions,” he said.
He said land disputes, domestic violence and minor assaults were common issues in communities.
“They (community members) have no idea about the law and sometimes they try to kill and fight one another,” he said.
He said PDO was coordinating with the Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP) and Belun organization to develop the clinics.
Hornai said the PDO was currently developing the program’s reference terms to help establish what authority the clinics will have.
National MP Arão Noe was also supportive of the initiative, saying it would help give communities better access to justice in the future.
However, he called on the government to ensure it was organized properly so that communities received the full benefits.
